Students in New York could get mental health days off from classes

Lawmakers in New York state are considering joining a dozen other states that allow students to take mental health days off from school.

The proposal is expected to be introduced this month in Albany. The intention is to make emotional wellness a health priority.

The stresses of growing up, amplified by the isolation of the pandemic, have created a generation of depressed and anxiety-ridden youth, with suicide on the rise among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For years, teen specialists have warned of a mental health crisis among young people, which has been exacerbated by a year and a half of social isolation imposed by the pandemic.