Daniela Mendez – illustratör

Mental health can take many forms, and disorders are of wide range.

According to the statistics provided by NAMI, 50% of all mental health disorders will manifest themselves around the age of 14; 7.7 million of the United States youth aged 6 to 17 were affected by a mental health disorder in 2016, and 1 in 6 of them experiences a mental health condition each year.

Depression is considered the leading disability worldwide, suicide ranks the second leading cause of death among the population ages 10 to 34 in the United States alone, and up to 90% of the people who died by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental health condition revealed by psychological autopsies. These numbers are not to be taken lightly, and they make us wonder, how can we help our youth feel safe and in touch with their feelings?

Some mental health issues are more visible than others, but we should never assume that people are not battling internally just because they don''t seem to be struggling outwardly.

That''s what this book is about: not looking away from what could affect any of us, or our loved ones of any age.

The more you talk about it, the easier it gets. It is time we all start and normalize our own conversations surrounding mental health, and we must each do our part to create a more caring and supportive environment for future generations to come.