Anthem Medicaid makes mental health wellness courses available to 17 Kentucky schools • Kentucky Lantern

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LOUISVILLE — Anthem Medicaid announced Wednesday it has launched a free digital mental wellness course available to 1,512 students at 17 Kentucky schools.

This announcement comes during Mental Health Awareness Month, when more young people, especially girls, Report depression symptoms.

calledUnderstanding mental wellnessThe interactive program is aimed at students in grades 8 through 10. According to his EVERFI from Blackbaud, who designed this course, it includes: 6 lessonseach 15 minutes long.

According to Anthem, the course exposes students to the experiences of others to develop awareness and empathy, reduce stigma, and provide facts about the prevalence and symptoms of mental health conditions. It is an object.

Students will then “examine their own mental health, identify challenges they may face, and develop specific strategies for dealing with those challenges, while increasing their awareness of resources and You’ll gain the knowledge, skills, and language you need to identify and support your peers who are at risk. ”

Online preview of the course We will take you on a tour of mental health through our program. It starts with a lesson on what mental health is and ends with an opportunity to create a personal health plan.

Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19), My mental state deteriorated. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that feelings of sadness and hopelessness, especially among teenage girls, increased from pre-pandemic levels. In 2017, 41% of high school girls and 21% of high school boys felt sad or hopeless. By 2021, These statistics were 57% and 29%Each.

“Young people need resources and education from trusted sources to protect their mental health,” Leon Lamoreaux, market president of Anthem Medicaid, said in a statement.

The Mental Wellness Understanding Program “will help us reach students across the commonwealth and equip them with the tools and strategies to make positive changes in their lives for years to come,” Lamoreaux said. .

Tom Davidson, CEO of EVERFI, said the program was created to “help people affected by mental health issues, those who want to build and maintain positive mental health; “It’s about benefiting people who have the opportunity to build positive mental health.” Affecting the mental health of friends and colleagues”