New data shows anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide continue to affect Idaho youth at a high rate. The National Alliance on Mental Illness says 26 thousand Idahoans aged 12 to 17 are depressed and 52.5% of those teens did not receive any care in the last year.

Optum Idaho, 2-C Kids Succeed, and other partners are teaming up to host "What I Wish U Knew", a first-of-its-kind forum addressing the pressures and resulting mental health impacts teens face in today's society.

"Conversations like this are so critically important. We have to listen to our teens," said Georganne Benjamin, Executive Director of Optum Idaho.

A short video will be shown featuring teens from around Canyon County speaking about their mental health struggles. Then, attendees will be broken into active group conversations, identifying actionable efforts adults can take to increase family and community support for teens.

"We'll facilitate a discussion with teens, among teens, to express what is going on, the challenges they're facing today and really to get the audience and to get adults to hear them, so they better understand what they're going through. Because it is different, it's different from when I was a teenager," said Benjamin.

In December, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory on youth mental health challenges. Idaho, like the rest of the country, is seeing distressing increases in the number of young people who have or are experiencing a mental health crisis. For example, The 2022 Kids Count report finds that 12.6% of Idaho children between the ages of 3 and 17 were diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Benjamin said a group effort is needed to understand and effectively help with teen mental health.

"We have to talk to one another. We have to listen to one another. Because solving, from mental health to substance use, disorders, is not just one entity's goal. It takes a community, and it takes all of us working together," said Benjamin.

The "What I Wish U Knew" forum is free and open to adults, caregivers, and high school-aged teens. It's on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. in Nampa at Northwest Nazarene University's Brandt Center. The address of the center is 623 South University Boulevard Nampa, Idaho. For more information on Optum Idaho, click here. For more information on 2-C Kids Succeed, click here.