NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – City officials announced the launch of "TeenSpace" on Wednesday, which is a service designed to support New York City teenagers, offering them access to mental health care at no cost.
Mayor Eric Adams and Dr. Ashwin Vasan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene explained that the tele-mental health service is designed to support teenagers aged 13 to 17.
"TeenSpace" in partnership with Talkspace, will allow teens to connect with licensed therapists through phone, video, and text messaging.
“Our young people shouldn’t ever feel alone,” Adams said. “We’re here for them, and together I know we’ll build a healthier, stronger city together.”
The launch of "TeenSpace" is a response to the escalating mental health crisis among young people. Recent data analyzed between 2011 and 2021, showed that there has been an increase in the percentage of city students reporting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation.
In 2019, 36% of New York City high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless almost every day for at least two weeks that they stopped doing their usual activities.
By 2021, this figure rose to 38%. Latino and Black students were significantly more likely than white students to report these feelings, according to the data.
The data also revealed that 9.2% of public high school students in the city reported having attempted suicide in the preceding 12 months.
"TeenSpace" will provide our city’s teens with a tangible resource to support their mental health and wellbeing and reduce barriers to accessing care," Dr. Vasan said.