CloseUp: Broderick raises awareness about NH youth mental health

HELLO. I AM ADAM SEXTON. HE GAVE MANY YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE GRANITE STATE, AND HE CONTINUES TO GIVE, NOW DOING WHAT HE CALLS THE MOST IMPACT WORK OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE. CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN BRODERICK RELIEVED THE STATE AND TALKED TO NEARLY 150,000 GRANITE STATES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. HE HAS A NEW BOOK ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES, AND HE IS OUR GUEST THIS MORNING ON “CLOSE UP”. THANKS TO BE HERE. M. BRODERICK: NICE TO BE HERE. ADAM: SO YOU’VE BEEN EVERYWHERE, OVER 100,000 MILES ON YOUR CAR. I AM CURIOUS AS WE BEGIN, WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE SAY TO YOU WHEN THEY COME TO YOU AND WANT TO TALK? M. BRODERICK: I WISH EVERYONE WATCHING THIS MORNING COULD BE WITH ME IN THESE AUDITORIA. I TALK TO THE CHILDREN FOR 30 MINUTES, I TELL THEM I FAMILY TRAVEL AND RECOVER. WHEN YOU ARE VULNERABLE TO YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY MAKE YOU THE VANGUARD. OFTEN TIMES I’M IN THE GYM AND 45 MINUTES OR AN HOUR AFTER I TALK THE CHILDREN COME UP AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN’T TALK THEY ARE SO EMOTIONAL. SOMETIMES THEY THINK I SAVE MYSELF FOR CHILDREN LIKE THEM. OFTEN THEY OPEN UP AND TALK TO ME ABOUT THEIR OWN LIFE AND PROBLEMS. THIS IS SO TOUCHING TO ME AND IMPACTING, AND I ASK ALL THESE CHILDREN, ARE YOU GETTING HELP? ARE YOU TALKING TO ANYONE? HALF OF THE CHILDREN TALK TO ANYONE. I WANT TO SEND TO NEW HAMPSHIRE AND NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS THE NUMBER OF COUNSELORS THEY HAVE INCREASED, AND THAT IS A GOOD THING. ON THE OTHER HAND, WHY IS IT NECESSARY? THERE IS ALWAYS A DARK SIDE. PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO AS MUCH AS ANYONE IN AMERICA FOR MENTAL HEALTH, AND COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH CENTERS ARE THE CENTRAL POINT OF IT ALL. WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB. WE NEED TO START NORMALIZING CONVERSATION, ELIMINATING STIGMA AND SHAME. WE NEED TO BUILD A MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN THIS COUNTRY, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE. ADAM: WHAT IS THE BASIS OF ALL OF THIS? THERE CAN BE A NUMBER OF REASONS PEOPLE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, BUT IS THERE A ROOT CAUSE? M. BRODERICK: I’M NOT A CLINICIAN, I AM A LITTLE SUSPICIOUS. I AM A VERY GOOD LISTENER, I DID IT PROFESSIONALLY FOR THE STATE ON COURT. I LISTEN CAREFULLY TO WHAT THE WITNESSES SAY. I HAVE LISTENED CAREFULLY TO THESE CHILDREN. I THINK A LOT OF WHAT ISSUES THESE CHILDREN IS SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY BASED. WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? THIS GENERATION OF KIDS, UNLIKE ME, SPENDS SIX TO NINE HOURS A DAY ONLINE. MOST OF IT IS NOT FOR SCHOOL, THAT’S IT. IT’S A GENERATION ALONE TOGETHER. THERMO — THERE ARE MORE IPHONES AFTER MIDNIGHT AND PARENTS WANT TO RECOGNIZE. — THAT PARENTS WANT TO RECOGNIZE. I BENEFITED FROM INEFFICIENT USE OF TIME WHILE GROWING UP. TODAY YOU’RE PART OF ONE TEAM, A TRAVELING TEAM, YOU’RE IN THREE CLUBS, PLAYING TWO VARSITY SPORTS. THESE CHILDREN HAVE NO TIME. I HEARED THIS AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO, I THINK THERE IS HUGE PRESSURE ON CHILDREN TO SUCCEED. THEY ARE TO THE DEATH OF FAILURE. MANY HIGH SCHOOLS, MOST HIGH SCHOOLS, IF YOU HAVE A BIG DAY IT IS POSTED ON A PLATFORM AND YOUR PARENTS CAN SEE IT. I ASKED A BOY, HOW DO YOU SURVIVE AT 65 THE CHEMISTRY QUIZ? THEY SAID HE GOES ON THE PLATFORM. I SAID WE DIDN’T HAVE PLATFORMS AT THE TIME, BUT MY REMEMBER IS THESE PAPERS NEVER GOT HOME. [LAUGHTER] THEY WERE BLOCKED IN MY BOOK. TODAY’S CHILDREN CAN’T DO THAT. I THINK THESE KIDS ARE AMAZING, SMARTER THAN ME, LESS JUDGMENT THAN ME. THEY ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS THAT MY GENERATION DID NOT HAVE. IT’S NOT THEIR FAULT. WHAT I WANT WHEN I ASK IS FOR PARENTS TO STOP THE FILM, FOR COMMUNITIES TO STOP THE FILM AND SAY, WHAT’S HAPPENING? IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, IT’S ALARMING. ADAM: YOU MENTION PARENTS AND THE FACT THAT THIS JOURNEY OF YEARS STARTED WITH YOUR OWN FAMILY. IF THERE WAS ONE ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE YOURSELF AT THE START OF THIS JOURNEY, I KNOW FROM THE RETROSPECTIVE THAT IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH, BUT IF YOU CAN GIVE ANY ADVICE TO PARENTS NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE ? M. BRODERICK: FIRST, LEARN WHAT THE SIGNS ARE. I AM A BABY BOOMER. NOBODY WAS TALKING ABOUT IT IN MY CHILDHOOD. I KNEW THAT MENTAL ILLNESS WAS AT THE EXTREME LEVEL, AT THE LEVEL OF INSANITY. BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION OR BIPOLAR DISORDER. I THINK PARENTS NEED TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT. THEY MUST LISTEN TO THEIR CHILDREN. I’ll give an example, I was in a school having lunch with 8th and 8th grade girls – eight 8th grade girls. I SAID, YOUR GENERATION IS STRESSED. IS IT TRUE? SUDDENLY THEY SMILING. They thought the old man was smart. THESE ARE FOURTH GRADE GIRLS. I SAID, WHY? THE LITTLE GIRL NEXT TO ME, TOP ATHLETE IN SCHOOL, SINCE WE ALWAYS TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THE NEXT THING FOR WE WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NEXT THING. THIS WAS NOT MY LIFE IN EIGHTH. THIS LITTLE GIRL, I TOLD HER, SHE MUST LOVE THIS SPORT. HIS RESPONSE IS THAT IT TAKES A LOT OF MY TIME. HELLO? I SAID, I GUESS HE DIDN’T HAVE TO PLAY. SHE SAID NO, I HAVE TO DO IT. THEY WILL NEVER LET ME STOP. YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO IT, YOU CAN HAVE FREE TIME. I AM SURE IN THE WORLD SHE LIVE IN, HER PARENTS ARE PROUD OF HER, ALL HER CLASSROOM CAMERAS THINK SHE IS EXCELLENT AT SPORT. THIS WAS NOT THE REACTION I EXPECTED. FOOTBALL PLAYERS, LACROSSE PRAYERS – PLAYERS ACROSS NEW ENGLAND START TO CRY WHEN THEY TELL ME HOW THEY FEEL, HOW THEY ARE AFRAID OF FAILING. I WISH WE CAN SLOW DOWN THE FILM, TALK TO OUR CHILDREN. I DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK JUST, GOD KNOWS I MADE MISTAKES. I WAS IGNORANT. I AM NOT IGNORANT NOW. I DON’T THINK THERE IS ANYONE ALIVE WHO HAS DONE BUT I HAVE DONE FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS. BECAUSE OF DARTMOUTH’S HEALTH, WITHOUT THEM, I COULDN’T DO THIS. I HAVE TALKED AND KISSED MORE CHILDREN IN NEW ENGLAND AND IN AUDITORIA ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND ANYONE LIVING – THAN ANYONE ALIVE. IT IS THE RENUNCIATION OF THE BOOK. I DO NOT EARN A DIME ON THIS, I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE IF I WAS. — WHY I WRITTEN THE BOOK. I DO NOT EARN A DIME ON THIS, I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE IF I WAS. I WANT PARENTS TO BIND IT. I THINK THIS IS THE ONLY WAY THINGS WILL CHANGE. ADAM: THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK DONE TO DESIGMATIZE, THERE IS A ISSUE A LOT OF PEOPLE EVEN OF MY GENERATION, FORTY YEARS, PEOPLE THINK AND SAY, IN MY DAY, STIFF UPPER LIP IN ALL OF THIS. THERE WAS RESILIENCE, WE TREATED IT. WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THIS? CHILDREN ARE RESILIENT TOO, THEY HAVE TO HANDLE MORE. M. BRODERICK: THESE CHILDREN ARE GENERALS. I LOVE THESE CHILDREN. IF YOU LOOK AT DATA POINTS, I WILL GIVE YOU THIS DATA POINT. IN 20 BEFORE COVID NATIONAL SURVEYS FROM WELL-RESPECTED SURVEYS, 46% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE US WERE DEPRESSED. 26% OF HIGH SCHOOL BOYS, 25% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HAVE SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED KILLING THEMSELVES IN THE PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS. 2019, LOOKING BACK A YEAR. 11.3% OF SECONDARY SCHOOL GIRLS IN THE SURVEY HAVE ONE OR MORE SUICIDE ATTEMPTS. THAT NUMBER FOR NEW HAMPSHIRE THIS YEAR WAS 8.3% OF HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS. THIS WAS NOT TRUE IN MY GENERATION. FROM 2007 TO 2017 IN OUR COUNTRY, THE SUICIDE RATE FOR PEOPLE AGED 10 TO 24, THE WONDERFUL YEARS OF LIFE, THE SUICIDE RATE DURING THIS DECADE HAS INCREASED BY 56%. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT A REASON. WE MUST DEAL WITH IT IN A WAY WE ARE NOT. THERE WERE SOME SERIOUS AND SERIOUS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS, REQUIRING HOTEL TREATMENT. I DO NOT BELOW THEM. MOST OF WHAT I SEE, I THINK COULD BE ADDRESSED IF EVERYONE JUST TAKES A DEEP BREATH, EXHALE. IF EVERYONE WAS NOT BUSY 24/7. ALL THESE CHILDREN I AM AROUND AND HAVE NO REMEMBRANCE BEFORE 9/11, THE WORLD TO THEM SEEMS CHAOTIC. THE PRESSURE ON THEM TO SUCCEED, THAT COMES FROM A LOVING PLACE. PARENTS LOVE THEIR CHILDREN AS EVER. UNIVERSITY IS MORE EXPENSIVE, ATHLETICS IS A PATH TO UNIVERSITY. SO THESE KIDS ARE TRYING TO JUMP HIGHER AND RUN FASTER THAN MY GENERATION EVER FELT THE NEED TO. IT HAS A PRICE. ADAM: WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE IN THE GOVERNMENT’S APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH? MR BRODERICK: WE DO NOT HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES, I TALKED TO THE MENTAL ILLNESS CHAIR AT A UNIVERSITY A YEAR AGO AND ASKED HOW HE WOULD RANK THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM , ONE BEING TERRIBLE AND 10 BEING THE GOLD STANDARD. HE SAID HE CANNOT ANSWER, I SAID WHY. HE SAID WE DON’T 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 DON’T WANT TO BE ACCESSIBLE. THERE’S NOT ENOUGH. 28,000 PSYCHIATRISTS IN AMERICA. WE DON’T HAVE ENOUGH NURSE PRACTITIONERS OR COUNSELORS OR PSYCHOLOGISTS. THE REASON WE DON’T HAVE A SYSTEM THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO GO TO THESE AREAS, WE DON’T PAY THEM AND WE DON’T REIMBURSE THEM LIKE WE REIMBURSE THE DOCTOR WHO FIXES YOUR BROKEN ARM. THIS IS A LOT OF THE PROBLEM. M. BRODERICK: WE ALWAYS — ADAM: WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR WORK. I FOUND YOUR BOOK ON AMAZON.

CloseUp: Broderick raises awareness about NH youth mental health

Updated: 11:22 a.m. EST November 27, 2022

For years, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, John Broderick, has been a man on a mission to raise awareness about mental health issues, especially among young people.

For years, retired Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire, John Broderick, has been a man on a mission to raise awareness about mental health issues, especially among young people.