May is Mental Health Awareness Month and while the focus on mental and emotional wellness has become much more prominent, more still needs to be done.

Tony Kirkman is the Executive Director of the Piatt County Mental Health Center and indicates stigma still remains around mental and emotional issues people face.

Data for impacts on mental and emotional wellness coming out of COVID is not yet complete although there is a lot to suggest there is an increase in those cases, Kirkman says there was already a sharp increase in things like depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation before the pandemic.

Kirkman says it is OK as parents or guardians to talk with your young people about mental health and make sure they have a trusted adult to speak with. He encourages mindful apps on their devices and also monitor what they are consuming.

With the summer break upon us, Kirkman says it is very important for kids to have fun and be playful. He says this is something a lot of kids lost during the pandemic.

Kirkman says it is OK to have our children fail and it teaches them to overcome adversity and learn from their mistakes. He believes it is best to let kids learn to fail in the safety of their home before they learn to fail alone in life.