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Why mental health policy is personal and political

Equal Time, Ep. 37

(Photo provided, composite by Chris Hale/CQ Roll Call)

Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has described mental health as “the defining public health crisis of our time.” He has used his position as a megaphone to highlight how the country is doing and where it falls short, particularly in the treatment of young people who are suffering.

It’s a complex topic worthy of discussion, and not just in May — Mental Health Awareness Month. How can the mental health of young people in America be protected from influences that could harm? Legislators are taking note; but is it enough?

Equal Time host Mary C. Curtis speaks with Julie Scelfo, executive director of Get Media Savvy, a nonprofit initiative devoted to fighting media chaos and fostering media literacy, about what is needed from policymakers and the public to tackle the youth mental health crisis and rebuild “our civic fabric.” 

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