TO NOT BE OK? IT'S OKAY TO SEEK. I KNOW THIS IS A CHANNEL 9 SPECIAL REPORT
CHARLOTTE'S HIDDEN CRISIS,
MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR KIDS.
>> AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING
US TONIGHT. I'M SCOTT
WICKERSHAM. TONIGHT WE'RE
SHINING A LIGHT ON THE MENTAL
HEALTH OF OUR CHILDREN AND
TEENS AND THE IMPACT OF
ISOLATION DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC. NOW THE CDC REPORTED
IN 2021 MORE THAN A 3RD OF HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENTS SAID THEY
EXPERIENCED POOR MENTAL HEALTH
DURING THE PANDEMIC. NEARLY
HALF OF STUDENTS REPORTED
PERSISTENT SADNESS OR
HOPELESSNESS DURING THAT YEAR,
THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF
PEDIATRICS AND SEVERAL OTHER
ASSOCIATIONS HAVE DECLARED THE
STATE OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT
MENTAL HEALTH. A NATIONAL
EMERGENCY. SO TONIGHT WE'LL
TALK ABOUT THE HEAVY BURDENS
THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE DEALING
WITH. SUICIDE IS THE 3RD
LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH. AMONG
PEOPLE AGED 15 TO 24 IN THE
U.S. A FAMILY THAT I KNOW LOST
THEIR 19 YEAR-OLD SON TO
SUICIDE LAST YEAR. TONIGHT.
THEY HAVE A MESSAGE FOR OTHER
PARENTS AND CHILDREN ABOUT
THEIR SON'S STRUGGLE.
>> YOU KNOW, HE REALLY
FRIENDLY. OUTGOING HAD A LOT OF
FRIENDS. WE ALWAYS CALL HIM THE
GENTLE GIANT.
>> 6, 4, 1, 95.
ACADEMICALLY STRONG. YOU KNOW,
SOME OF THEM LOUDER FROM OUR
MARRIAGE. GOT TO CHAPEL HILL.
SMART, HANDSOME.
>> A GREAT HOCKEY PLAYER AND
LOVED BY HIS FAMILY ON THE
OUTSIDE MATHIAS RISOTTO HAD
EVERYTHING GOING FOR HIM.
BUT ON THE INSIDE IS HE GREW
OLDER. HIS PARENTS, RAFAEL AND
RACHEL WATCHED MATHIAS START
TO WITHDRAW. AS YOU KNOW, HE
WAS THAT THERE ARE 2 DIFFERENT
CASES. THERE WAS THE TEARS THAT
WE KNEW GOING UP UP TO A
CERTAIN POINT IN.
>> AS HE GOT OLDER AND AND THE
DEPRESSION SAID IT WAS A LITTLE
BIT DIFFERENT WITHDRAWALS.
THE PANIC ATTACKS, THE SOCIAL
ANXIETY. IT ESCALATED TO
SELF-HARM WITH MATHIAS. THAT
WAS ONE OF THE 7 THINGS LATE
BEFORE HIS FIRST ATTEMPT.
HE WAS CUTTING HIMSELF. AND
THAT'S WHEN WE REALLY STARTED
PANICKING. AND THAT'S WHERE
WE STARTED WITH MEDICATION WAS
WHEN WE SAW THE SELF CUTTING.
AND THAT WAS ROUGHLY 5 OR 6
MONTHS BEFORE HIS FIRST SUICIDE
ATTEMPT.
>> BUT HE HAS STARTED THERAPY
FOR SOCIAL ANXIETY. THE FALL OF
HIS JUNIOR YEAR AT MARVIN RIDGE
HIGH SCHOOL IN 2018 WEEKS INTO
HIS FIRST YEAR AT UNC CHAPEL
HILL IN FALL 2020, BUT HE HAS
ANOTHER STUDENTS WERE SENT HOME
BECAUSE OF COVID. AND HIS
PARENTS SAY THAT ISOLATION FROM
SCHOOL AND FRIENDS DIDN'T HELP.
HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CLINICAL
DEPRESSION AND STARTED
MEDICATIONS NOVEMBER 2020.
THE NEXT YEAR, THOUGH, RACHEL
AND RAFAEL THOUGHT MATHIAS WAS
STARTING TO GET BETTER. HE HAD
A GIRLFRIEND AND HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT RE IN ROLLING AT UNC AND
THEY BEGGED HIM TO KEEP
FIGHTING.
>> MOST PARENTS DON'T EVER HAVE
TO SAY, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE
US TIME. PLEASE GIVE US TIME.
JUST WORK WITH US AND GIVE US
TIME. AND HE PROMISED HE WOULD
GIVE US TIME.
>> AND HE DID. HE FOUGHT AS
LONG AS HE COULD. BUT ON JULY,
17TH 2021 MATHIAS RISOTTO DIED
BY SUICIDE. HE WAS JUST 19.
HE LEFT NOTES FOR HIS FRIENDS
AND FOR US PARENTS.
>> HE WAS IN PAIN. HE WAS.
REALLY HURTING AND HE REALLY
DIDN'T WANT TO HURT US WITH
HIS DECISION. AND HE WANTED US
TO UNDERSTAND. AND IT WAS.
I THOUGHT TO.
HE TRIED TO LET US DOWN IN.
THE MOST LOVING WAY.
>> TRYING TO CREATE A POSITIVE
CHANGE FROM THEIR TRAGEDY.
THE RECITALS CREATED THE
MATHIAS ROSADO FOUNDATION.
IT'S DEDICATED TO YOUTH MENTAL
HEALTH, CONNECTING YOUNG PEOPLE
WITH RESOURCES AND HELP AND
SUPPORTING OTHER GROUPS THAT DO
THE SAME. THEY'RE ALSO PUSHING
FOR CHANGE. THEY SAY THE
SCIENCE NEEDS TO IMPROVE TO
HELP CHILDREN WHO ARE
STRUGGLING. SCIENTISTS. DOCTORS
DON'T KNOW HOW TO HOW TO TREAT
THIS DISEASE REALLY YET.
>> IT'S MORE LIKE TAKE A PILL
FOR 6 WEEKS. YOU HOW YOU FEEL?
WELL, THAT DIDN'T WORK. THIS
TRY ANOTHER BEFORE 6 WEEKS, YOU
KNOW YOUR FIELD. AND WHILE THEY
HOPE TREATMENTS AND
UNDERSTANDING OF DEPRESSION
WILL IMPROVE. THEY HAVE THIS
ADVICE FOR ANY CHILDREN OUT
THERE WHO MAY FEEL THE SAME
WAY THEIR SON DID.
>> I THINK IF THE KIDS ARE
WATCHING, I WOULD SAY REACH OUT
AND JUST JUST SAY, YOU NEED
HELP.
TO FRIENDS OR PARENTS. PORT.
JUST GIVE GIVE. PEOPLE A CHANCE
TO HELP YOU.
>> AND THE RECITALS ENCOURAGE
PARENTS TO HAVE THOSE HARD
CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUR KIDS.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY THE WORD
SUICIDE AND KNOW THE WARNING
SIGNS LIKE SHARING THOUGHTS
OF SUICIDE STATEMENTS ABOUT
WANTING TO DIE TO BE DEAD OR
SELF-HARM. STRONG FEELINGS THAT
THEY MAY NEVER GET BETTER
WITHDRAWAL FROM EVERYONE AND
EVERYTHING OR BEING
UNUSUALLY ANGRY. IT'S IMPORTANT
TO KNOW THAT THERE IS HELP.
HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS.
ASK THEM IF THEY'RE OK AND THEN
JUST REALLY LISTEN. TELL THEM
YOU'RE WORRIED AND CONCERNED
THAT THEY'RE NOT ALONE AND GET
OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED LIKE A
COUNSELOR. NOW THE RISOTTO IS
TOLD ME THEY FOUND A SHORTAGE
OF PSYCHIATRISTS AVAILABLE WHEN
MATHIAS HAD AN EMERGENCY
SITUATION AFTER CALLING AND
CALLING NOBODY COULD SEE HIM
WITHIN 48 HOURS. SO NOW THEY'RE
TALKING WITH THE STEVE SMITH
FAMILY FOUNDATION ABOUT
SUPPORTING THEIR BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH URGENT CARE CENTER IN
THE CHARLOTTE. AND THAT