JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Health officials said Mississippi teens are facing increasing rates of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, creating a growing demand for adolescent mental health services.
To help meet that need, Children’s of Mississippi has opened a new Adolescent Acute Psychiatric Unit designed to serve teens ages 13 to 17. During the 2023 legislative session, the Mississippi Legislature appropriated $6 million to the project. An additional $2 million came from federal funding.
“We are deeply grateful to our elected officials for recognizing the urgent need for expanded adolescent mental health services and investing in this project,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). “Their support made it possible to address a critical gap in care and ensure that teens across our state have access to inpatient psychiatric treatment when they need it most.”…