RFK Jr. criticizes Illinois' mental health screenings law
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U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking direct aim at an Illinois law to screen students' mental health, calling the state's approach misguided.
Why it matters: Only 55% of young people say their mental health is good, very good or excellent, according to a Hopelab and Data For Progress survey shared with Axios this week.
- But LGBTQ+ youth rate their mental health as poor at nearly triple the rate of non-LGBTQ+ youth.
- Half of U.S. youth say that loneliness has a daily disruptive impact on their mental health.
Driving the news: Kennedy and Education Secretary Linda McMahon penned an op-ed last week decrying Illinois' new universal mental health screenings law as an over reliance on therapy, and instead recommend fitness, nutrition and "strong families" as a way to confront youth mental health.
Reality check: Neither Kennedy or McMahon have backgrounds in mental health or social work.
Friction point: Kennedy and McMahon argue that mental health care for children should fall to parents more than schools, writing that "schools should engage and rely on parents to raise their children with nutritious family meals and family interaction, outdoor play and role-modeling."
- This is a common Republican argument highlighted by U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (IL-R) who in response to Illinois' law reintroduced the Parents Opt-In Protection Act, which would make the screenings in Illinois "opt-in" and require written consent from parents or guardians.
The other side: More resources, training and support should be poured into schools, which serve as "an equalizer," Amy Green, Hopelab's head of research, told Axios.
- "In their op-ed, the HHS and Education Secretaries completely fail to comprehend the scale of the mental health crisis that our youth are facing," state senator and sponsor of Illinois' universal mental health screenings law Sara Feigenholtz told Axios in a statement. "Here in Illinois, we will continue empowering young people and their families by connecting prevention with intervention."
Zoom in: One of Kennedy and McMahon's recommendations is limiting or banning cellphones during the school day, which some school districts in Illinois already do.
- Yes, but: A statewide ban failed to pass the General Assembly this year.
State of play: About a quarter of youth say their schools fall short on mental health support, according to the survey.
What's next: The Illinois School Board of Education is working with school districts this year to develop the mental health screening questions, and schools will be required to start screenings by the 2027-28 school year.