As of 2025, Georgia ranks as the second-worst state in mental health care. 151 of 159 Georgia counties face a shortage of mental health care providers. Of Georgia’s youth who experience depression, 66.6% do not receive treatment.

Associate Professor of Health and Development Psychology at the University of Georgia, Katherine Ehrlich, believes it is important to improve psychiatric care in Georgia. Ehrlich believes mental health is impactful to all areas of life, and increasing available resources can encourage students to be proactive about their mental health.

“Mental health affects everything, your relationships, your ability to focus, your sleep, even physical health,” Ehrlich said. “When mental health suffers, it’s harder to do well in school, enjoy time with others, or feel confident in yourself. A growing body of research shows that poor mental health can forecast the onset of chronic disease in adulthood. This association is probably due, at least in part, to poor health behaviors like insufficient sleep, poor diets, and inadequate physical activity that often co-occur when individuals are struggling with their mental health.”

Georgia EmPATH Act

Representative Imani Barnes introduced House Bill 109, the Georgia EmPATH Act, to the Georgia General Assembly. The bill would establish a pilot program introducing Emergency Psychiatric Assessment Treatment and Healing (EmPATH) units into Georgia for five years. 

EmPATH units are specialized hospital facilities equipped with mental health professionals. They provide timely evaluations for psychiatric patients in a calm, non-restrictive environment. Research suggests that EmPATH units have reduced inpatient care by seven percent to 17 percent. 

“[EmPATH units] can help people by giving them timely access to mental health services when they need it most,” Georgia representative and co-sponsor of the EmPATH Act, Samuel Park said. “Instead of being stuck in an ER or waiting for a hospital bed, people can get direct psychiatric assessment, crisis care, detox support and stabilization in a specialized, healing environment. This can improve outcomes, reduce hospital admissions and ultimately save lives.”

Currently, EmPATH units are implemented in over 30 states. The Georgia EmPATH Act asks for a grant of $3 million to establish two additional EmPATH units in Georgia.

“We want to try [EmPATH units] in Georgia to see if it is beneficial to our communities,” Barnes said. “Other states have put these in their communities and are reducing the time someone in a crisis has to wait when they go to a hospital.”

In the United States, the suicide rate for ages 10 to 24 went up by 57 percent from 2009 to 2019. In 2022, suicide was the second leading cause of death in Generation Z. 

“The suicide rate is high for all ages,” Barnes said.  “We want to reduce that rate, we want to save people’s lives if we can. The EmPATH units have been proven to save people’s lives. People will go and admit themselves to an EmPATH unit before they go to the ER. EmPATH units are working in other states, and we should try them as well.”

Research indicates that teens who spend more than three hours daily on social media are at a heightened risk of developing depression and anxiety symptoms. 

“I visited a pediatric EmPATH unit, we have one here in Georgia,” Barnes said. “I went to visit, it is in Dekalb county, and it is necessary because of the things that [students] go through in school. Social media is intense, and sometimes it is mean, and we have bullies, so these types of places for [students] to go and talk to someone in mental health care are of the utmost importance.”

Barnes believes the Georgia EmPATH Act can improve access to psychiatric care for Georgia citizens. Barnes plans to reintroduce the bill in January when the assembly reconvenes. 

“We have an epidemic here with a mental health crisis,” Barnes said. “Even students are having mental health situations where they need to be seen. People don’t want to be in a very busy atmosphere when they are depressed and don’t want to be around people. It is important for us to give them other options in a smaller setting.”

Park believes it is important to increase available resources for children and adults in Georgia.

 “I’d love to see Georgia expand access to mental health services in schools, invest in youth mental health programs, and provide more support for families and communities,” Park said. “Mental health touches every part of life, and we need sustained investment to meet the growing demand for care.”

In-School Mental Health Initiatives

In 2024, Midtown held its first Youth Mental Health First-Aid training. The program aims to increase mental health awareness and provide students with strategies for dealing with their own mental health struggles and those of their peers. As the program continues, students learn how to address mental health crises within their community.

“It is a three-day training and it happens 90 minutes per time,” Student Support Program Specialist Dr. Cheryl Nahmias said. “The first day we talked about different mental health challenges and how to define them, how to recognize them. The second day, we move into what you do, and we learn the action steps, which are look, ask, listen and help. [On] the last day we review, and I teach overdosing on drugs and alcohol. Overdosing on drugs or alcohol is considered a mental health challenge, so we teach kids about what to do if they ever have a friend who is overcome by drugs or alcohol. Over the three days, kids get the full certification.”

Sophomore Tegan Derro participated in the training and afterward said she felt more prepared to help someone in a mental health crisis. During the training, she learned to identify warning signs, characteristics of poor mental health and ways to assist peers.

“I feel more prepared to help someone in a crisis, I know the recovery position, dealing with substance abuse and looking out for warning signs,” Derro said. “Substance abuse [has less awareness] so it’s important to recognize. Being exposed to [it], you can still have challenges, even without a diagnosis.” 

Ehrlich said raising awareness is important among students due to the external pressures they face during school.

“School is where teens spend most of their time, and it’s also a key place where stress, pressure and social dynamics can affect mental health,” Ehrlich said. “Raising awareness helps reduce stigma and gives students tools to recognize when they or their peers need support.” 

Midtown psychology teacher Andrew Copeland believes stress from school can deteriorate teen mental health. 

“From my [Advanced Placement] students, I know the general competitive stress of college and grades,” Copeland said. “When I was in high school, I did well on tests, but [now] the hyper-awareness of school seems more focused than it was, leading to stress and pressure. People [are] doing multiple clubs and sports and extracurricular activities that are stretching people thin physically and mentally.”

Since the training began, Nahmias believes students have felt more comfortable asking for help. Nahmias acknowledges that this can be one of the most essential yet difficult steps in the recovery process.

“I think one of the things that I’ve learned in my training is that the sooner someone who is going through a mental health challenge and can get support and move through it, the better,” Nahmias said. “Left unattended, things can tend to get worse, people can become more entrenched in whatever is challenging them. It can move from a mental health challenge to a mental health crisis. So I think for an adult or a teen, getting early intervention is key to being able to manage and move on with your life and thrive and flourish the way you want to.”

As a teacher, Copeland believes it is important to provide supportive and open environments for students. 

“I think obviously, as teachers, you’re hoping you have caring individuals with the goal to support and further their students year to year,” Copeland said. “It’s important to have people that support and care about you [and] build self-efficacy and esteem. Your belief in your abilities is a huge part of mental health, [and] building capable people is important. Not every school has a track record of building students for the future, but luckily I think here there are a lot of good, trusted adults [at Midtown] if kids need them.”

Gen Z Mental Health

Over 50 million Americans struggle with their mental health, and over half go without treatment. 91% of Gen-Z report having lowered mental health. In Georgia alone, one in eight teens experiences depression.

“Gen Z reports higher rates of anxiety, depression and stress than previous generations at the same age,” Ehrlich said. “That’s partly because they’re more open about mental health, but also because they’re facing new pressures like constant social media exposure and global uncertainty.”

Ehrlich believes social media causes poor mental health rates due to its comparative nature. She said teens compare themselves to exaggerated or edited images, creating unrealistic expectations.

“While social media helps some teens feel connected, it also exposes them to unrealistic standards, cyberbullying, and constant comparison, all of which are linked to increased anxiety and depression in some studies,” Ehrlich said.

Additionally, COVID-19 exacerbated already low Gen-Z mental health rates. 

“Many studies have shown increased rates of anxiety, depression and loneliness during and after the pandemic, especially for teens who lost access to regular routines and social connections,” Ehrlich said. “Some studies suggest that these elevated rates are declining again, but for many teens, mental health symptoms remain high post-pandemic.”

Derro believes the effects of COVID are persistent in students. She believes lowered social connections during the pandemic have become a normality for people today. 

“I think COVID was isolating for a lot of people,” Derro said. “We were relying on virtual options and coming back from the pandemic and struggling with coming back socially. Online school was hard because there was less interaction with teachers and not the same school environment, not seeing my friends was hard, and everyone was very trapped.

Ehrlich believes mental health challenges appeared during COVID because adolescents were dealing with decreased social interactions and abnormal experiences. She explained that a lack of support or interactions can cause existing issues to perpetuate.

“Adolescence is a time when peers are incredibly important for identity and emotional development,” Ehrlich said. “Missing out on in-person interaction during COVID may lead to delayed social skills, more anxiety in group settings, or a sense of disconnection that can last into adulthood.”

Ehrlich believes increased access to mental health assessments and treatments are abundantly important for Generation Z.

“Gen Z is impressively aware, more than previous generations,” Ehrlich said. “They’ve grown up with more open conversations about mental health online and in schools, which helps reduce stigma and encourages more people to seek help. That said, many teens face barriers in getting access to mental health support, so there is still a lot we need to do to adequately address mental health needs.”

With the implantation of EmPATH units and in-school initiatives, resources for psychiatric care continue to increase. Ehrlich believes it is important to seek help if you or someone you know is struggling. She said the repercussions of not doing so are greater than the discomfort it may cause. 

“Mental health is just as real and important as physical health, and it’s okay to ask for help,” Ehrlich said. “The earlier someone gets support, the better the outcomes—so don’t wait to speak up, whether you’re struggling yourself or worried about someone else.”