Data released this summer shows why the United Way of Door County continues investing heavily in addressing the area's mental health challenges. According to the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Summary Report released by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction, 59 percent of high school said they experienced at least one mental health challenge over the past year. That includes more than half of the surveyed students experiencing anxiety, a third of them experiencing depression almost every day for two weeks or more, and a fifth reporting non-suicidal self-harm. Closer to home, the data shows that 16 percent of Door County students seriously consider suicide, and 23 percent of them cause self-harm without intending to die. Community Impact Coordinator of Mental Health Cami Peggar says kids deal with a lot of issues you cannot see, and they often lack the resources needed to deal with them.

According to the United Way of Door County, there is one mental health provider for every 710 people, which lags well behind the state (1 for every 400 people) and the nation (1 for every 320 people). STRIDE, which helps provide on-site mental health services at all five Door County school districts, announced the details this week for its upcoming STRIDE Creative Mighty Teens Empowerment project for kids in grades 5-7. The seven-week online art journal club runs on Tuesdays from 6-7 p.m. October 8th through November 19th. Registration opens on September 9th.