Rep. David Trone, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando Host Virtual Roundtable on COVID-19, Mental Health, and Our Students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Trone.Press@mail.house.gov
Rep. David Trone, Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando Host Virtual Roundtable on COVID-19, Mental Health, and Our Students
WASHINGTON — Last week, Congressman David Trone (MD-06) and Montgomery County Councilmember Will Jawando hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on students’ mental health with a panel of experts.
The conversation comes as a recent report from the Joint Economic Committee found that nearly 50% of young adults report having symptoms of depressive and/or generalized anxiety disorder.
The panel discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic has caused school closures, activity cancellations, and other COVID-related closures, resulting in students lacking interactions with peers and feelings of isolation. The roundtable also included a conversation about what steps can be taken on the local, state, and federal levels to provide students with school-based mental health and trauma-informed care services.
Roundtable participants included:
- Nick Asante, Student Member, Montgomery County Board of Education
- Ann Mazur, CEO of EveryMind
- Laurie-Anne Sayles, Gaithersburg City Councilmember
“We need to do everything we can to help students succeed, and that includes supporting their mental health,” said Congressman David Trone. “I want to thank these local leaders for lending their voices and ideas to our discussion. If we work together, we can make critical mental health resources available to all. We owe it to our students to make these changes.”
“I appreciate the opportunity to partner with Congressman Trone to shine a light on student mental health concerns and discuss the work we are doing to address these issues,” said Councilmember Will Jawando. “The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already significant problem and widened disparities for students dealing with mental health challenges. We know many of our students are struggling, and we must do more to bring them the support they need.”
“Struggling with mental health is an issue many students face, with the impacts of COVID-19 only making that battle harder. From the sense of isolation as students conduct class from home to the feeling of panic as students observe the state of the world around them, the fight against anxiety, depression, and other mental issues is now more present than ever,” said Nick Asante, Student Member of the Montgomery County Board of Education. “I appreciated the opportunity to give insights into the student experience during this time and discuss this pressing issue with Representative Trone and CM Jawando. This is an important conversation that we must continue to have, and I look forward to seeing the action they take around the issue.”
A replay of the roundtable can be found here.
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Education and Labor, Foreign Affairs, and Joint Economic Committees, where he is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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