Broderick raises mental health awareness for NH youth

GOOD MORNING. I’M ADAM SEXTON. HE’S GIVEN MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE GRANITE STATE, AND HE KEEPS ON GIVING, NOW DOING WHAT HE CALLS THE MOST IMPACTFUL WORK OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE. CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN BRODERICK HAS GONE UP AND DOWN THE STATE AND SPOKEN TO ALMOST 150,000 GRANITE STATERS ABOUT THE ISSUE OF MENTAL HEALTH. HE HAS A NEW BOOK OUT ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES, AND HE’S OUR GUEST THIS MORNING ON “CLOSE UP.” THANKS FOR BEING HERE. MR. BRODERICK: GREAT TO BE HERE. ADAM: SO YOU HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE PLACE, MORE THAN 100,000 MILES ON YOUR CAR. I AM CURIOUS AS WE START, WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE TELL YOU WHEN THEY COME UP TO YOU AND WANT TO DISCUSS? MR. BRODERICK: I WISH EVERYONE WATCHING THIS MORNING COULD BE WITH ME IN THOSE AUDITORIUMS. I SPEAK TO THE KIDS FOR 30 MINUTES, TELL THEM I FAMILIES JOURNEY AND RECOVERY. WHEN YOU ARE VULNERABLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY RETURN THE FAVOR. OFTEN TIMES, I AM IN THE GYM AND 45 MINUTES OR AN HOUR AFTER I SPEAK, KIDS COME UP AND SOMETIMES THEY CANNOT SPEAK THEY ARE SO EMOTIONAL. SOMETIMES THEY THINK ME FOR STICKING UP FOR KIDS LIKE THEM. OFTEN TIMES, THEY OPEN UP AND TALK TO ME ABOUT THEIR OWN LIVES AND PROBLEMS. IT IS SO TOUCHING TO ME AND IMPACTFUL, AND I ASK ALL THESE KIDS, ARE YOU GETTING HELP? ARE YOU TALKING TO ANYONE? HALF THE KIDS ARE TALKING TO NO ONE. I WANT TO SEND OUT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW ENGLAND, THE NUMBER OF COUNSELORS THEY HAVE HAS RISEN, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHY IS THAT NECESSARY? THERE IS ALWAYS A DARK SIDE TO IT. PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE DOING AS MUCH AS ANYONE IN AMERICA FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS ARE THE CENTER POINT OF ALL OF IT. WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB. WE NEED TO START NORMALIZING THE CONVERSATION, TAKING AWAY THE STIGMA AND SHAME. WE NEED TO BUILD A MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE. ADAM: WHAT IS AT THE ROOT OF ALL OF THIS? THERE CAN BE A NUMBER OF REASONS PEOPLE ENCOUNTER MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT IS THERE A ROOT CAUSE? MR. BRODERICK: I AM NOT A CLINICIAN, I AM A LITTLE LEERY. I AM A PRETTY GOOD LISTENER, I DID THAT PROFESSIONALLY FOR THE STATE ON THE COURT. I LISTENED ACUTELY TO WHAT WITNESSES WERE SAYING. I’VE LISTENED TO THESE KIDS ATTENTIVELY. I THINK A LOT OF WHAT IS BOTHERING THESE KIDS IS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY DRIVEN. WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? THIS GENERATION OF KIDS, UNLIKE MY GENERATION, IS SPENDING SIX TO NINE HOURS A DAY ONLINE. MOST OF IT IS NOT FOR SCHOOL, IT IS THIS. THIS IS AN ALONE TOGETHER GENERATION. THERMO –THERE ARE MORE IPHONES ON AFTER MIDNIGHT AND PARENTS WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. — THAN PARENTS WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE. I BENEFITED FROM THE INEFFICIENT USE OF TIME GROWING UP. TODAY, YOU ARE ON A TEAM, A TRAVELING TEAM, YOU ARE IN THREE CLUBS, PLAYING TWO VARSITY SPORTS. THESE KIDS HAVE NO TIME. I’VE HEARD THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO, I THINK THERE IS A HUGE PRESSURE ON KIDS TO SUCCEED. THEY ARE SCARED TO DEATH OF FAILING. A LOT OF HIGH SCHOOLS, MOST HIGH SCHOOLS, IF YOU HAVE A GREAT ANY GIVEN DAY, IT IS POSTED ON A PLATFORM AND YOUR PARENTS CAN SEE IT. I ASKED A BOY, HOW DO YOU SURVIVE A 65 ON THE CHEMISTRY QUIZ? THEY SAID IT GOES UP ON THE PLATFORM. I SAID WE DID NOT HAVE PLATFORMS BACK THEN, BUT MY MEMORY IS THAT THOSE PAPERS NEVER MADE IT HOME. [LAUGHTER] THEY WERE STUCK IN MY BOOK. KIDS TODAY CAN’T DO THAT. I THINK THESE KIDS ARE AMAZING, SMARTER THAN I WAS, LESS JUDGMENTAL THAN I WAS. THEY ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS MY GENERATION DID NOT HAVE. IT IS NOT THEIR FAULT. WHAT I WANT, WHEN I AM ASKING, IS FOR PARENTS TO STOP THE FILM, COMMUNITIES TO STOP THE FILM AND SAY, WHAT IS HAPPENING? IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT IS ALARMING. ADAM: YOU MENTION PARENTS AND THE FACT THAT THIS JOURNEY OF YEARS STARTED WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY. IF THERE WAS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU COULD GIVE TO YOURSELF AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT JOURNEY, I KNOW LOOKING BACK IT IS NOT GREAT FOR MENTAL HEALTH, BUT IF YOU COULD GIVE ADVICE TO PARENTS NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE? MR. BRODERICK: FIRST OF ALL, LEARN WHAT THE SIGNS ARE. I AM A BABY BOOMER. NO ONE TALKED ABOUT IT IN MY CHILDHOOD. I KNEW IT MENTAL ILLNESS WAS AT THE EXTREMES, THE INSANITY LEVEL. BUT I DID NOT HEAR ABOUT ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OR BIPOLAR DISORDER. I THINK PARENTS NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT. THEY HAVE TO LISTEN TO THEIR CHILDREN. I WILL GIVE AN EXAMPLE, I WAS AT A SCHOOL HAVING LUNCH WITH 8/8-GRADE GIRLS — EIGHT 8TH GRADE GIRLS. I SAID, YOUR GENERATION IS STRESSED. IS THAT TRUE? SUDDENLY, THEY WERE SMILING. THEY THOUGHT THE OLD GUY WAS SMART. THESE ARE EIGHTH GRADE GIRLS. I SAID, WHY IS THAT? THE LITTLE GIRL NEXT TO ME, THE BEST ATHLETE IN THE SCHOOL, SINCE WE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THE NEXT THING SO WE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE THING AFTER THAT. THAT WAS NOT MY EIGHTH-GRADE LIFE. THIS LITTLE GIRL, I TOLD HER, SHE MUST LOVE THAT SPORT. HER ANSWER WAS IT TAKES A LOT OF MY TIME. HELLO? I SAID, I SUPPOSE HE DID NOT HAVE TO PLAY. SHE SAID NO, I HAVE TO. THEY WOULD NEVER LET ME QUIT. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO THAT, YOU CAN HAVE SOME FREE TIME. I AM SURE IN THE WORLD SHE IS LIVING IN, HER PARENTS ARE PROUD OF HER, ALL HER CLASSMATES THINK SHE IS GREAT AT SPORTS. THAT WAS NOT THE REACTION I WAS EXPECTING. FOOTBALL PLAYERS, LACROSSE PRAYERS — PLAYERS ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND START CRYING WHEN TELLING ME ABOUT HOW THEY ARE FEELING, HOW THEY ARE FEARFUL OF FAILING. I WISH WE COULD SLOW THE FILM DOWN, TALK TO OUR CHILDREN. I DO NOT WANT TO SOUND RIGHTEOUS, GOD KNOWS I MADE MISTAKES. I WAS IGNORANT. I AM NOT IGNORANT NOW. I DO NOT THINK THERE IS A PERSON ALIVE THAT HAS DONE BUT I HAVE DONE THE LAST SIX YEARS. BECAUSE OF DARTMOUTH HEALTH, WITHOUT THEM I COULD NOT DO THIS. I’VE SPOKEN AND HUGGED MORE KIDS IN NEW ENGLAND AND AUDITORIUMS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ANYONE LIVING — THAN ANYONE LIVING. THAT IS WAIVER OF THE BOOK. I AM NOT MAKING A DIME ON IT, I WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE IF I WAS. — WHY I WROTE THE BOOK. I AM NOT MAKING A DIME ON IT, I WOULD NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE IF I WAS. I WANT PARENTS TO READ IT. I THINK THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THINGS WILL CHANGE. ADAM: THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH WORK DONE TO DESTIGMATIZE, THERE IS A QUESTION A LOT OF PEOPLE EVEN FROM MY GENERATION, 40’S ON , PEOPLE THINK BACK AND SAY, IN MY DAY, STIFF UPPER LIP IN ALL OF THAT. THERE WAS RESILIENCY, WE DEALT WITH IT. WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT? KIDS ARE RESILIENT, TOO, THEY JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH MORE. MR. BRODERICK: THESE KIDS ARE GREAT. I LOVE THESE KIDS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA POINTS, I’LL GIVE YOU THIS DATA POINT. IN 20, BEFORE COVID, NATIONAL SURVEYS FROM WELL-RESPECTED SURVEYS, 46% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE U.S. WERE DEPRESSED. 26% OF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS, 25% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HAVE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO KILLING THEMSELVES IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS. 2019, LOOKING BACK A YEAR. 11.3% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE SURVEY HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE ONE OR MORE TIMES. THAT NUMBER FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE THAT YEAR WAS 8.3% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS. THAT WAS NOT TRUE IN MY GENERATION. FROM 2007 TO 2017 IN OUR COUNTRY, THE RATE OF SUICIDE FOR PEOPLE AGES 10 TO 24, THE WONDER YEARS OF LIFE, THE RATE OF SUICIDE IN THAT DECADE INCREASED 56%. THAT IS NOT JUST HAPPENING FOR NO REASON. WE NEED TO DEAL WITH IT IN A WAY THAT WE ARE NOT. THERE WERE SOME MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT ARE SEVERE AND SERIOUS, NEED INPATIENT TREATMENT. I AM NOT BELITTLING THOSE. MOST OF WHAT I AM SEEING, I THINK COULD BE ADDRESSED IF EVERYONE JUST TOOK A DEEP BREATH, EXHALE. IF EVERYONE WAS NOT BUSY 24/7. ALL OF THESE KIDS I AM HUGGING AND HAVE NO MEMORY BEFORE 9/11, THE WORLD TO THEM SEEMS CHAOTIC. THE PRESSURE ON THEM TO SUCCEED, WHICH IS COMING FROM A LOVING PLACE. PARENTS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AS MUCH AS EVER. COLLEGE IS MORE EXPENSIVE, ATHLETICS IS A ROUTE TO COLLEGE. SO THESE KIDS ARE TRYING TO JUMP HIGHER AND RUN FASTER THAN MY GENERATION EVER FELT THE NEED TO. IT COMES AT A PRICE. ADAM: WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN THE GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH? MR. BRODERICK: WE DO NOT HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE U.S., I SPOKE TO THE CHAIR OF MENTAL ILLNESS AT A UNIVERSITY A YEAR AGO AND I ASKED HOW HE WOULD RANK THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM, ONE BEING TERRIBLE AND 10 BEING THE GOLD STANDARD. HE SAID HE COULD NOT ANSWER, I SAID WHY. HE SAID WE DO NOT HAVE A METS HEALTH SYSTEM. WE HAVE FRAGMENTS, A PATCHWORK. — MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. WE HAVE FRAGMENTS, A PATCHWORK. IT IS NOT BECAUSE MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS DO NOT WANT TO BE ACCESSIBLE. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH OF THEM. 28,000 PSYCHIATRISTS IN AMERICA. WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH NURSE PRACTITIONERS OR COUNSELORS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS. THE REASON WE DO NOT HAVE A SYSTEM THAT INCENTIVIZES PEOPLE THAT GOES INTO THOSE FIELDS, WE DO NOT PAY THEM, AND WE DO NOT REIMBURSE THEM LIKE WE REIMBURSE THE DOCTOR WHO FIXES YOUR BROKEN ARM. THAT IS A LOT OF THE PROBLEM. MR. BRODERICK: WE ALWAYS — ADAM: WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, PERSPECTIVE AND WORK. I FOUND YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON.

CloseUp: Broderick raises mental health awareness for NH youth

Updated: 11:22 AM EST Nov 27, 2022

For years now retired New Hampshire Supreme Court chief justice John Broderick has been a man on a mission to help raise awareness about mental health issues, particularly for young people.

For years now retired New Hampshire Supreme Court chief justice John Broderick has been a man on a mission to help raise awareness about mental health issues, particularly for young people.