KD Sunday Spotlight: UpStreet Pittsburgh Helping As Teens Experience Higher Rates Of Stress, Depression

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Health leaders say there is a growing mental health crisis among teenagers, and it started before the pandemic.

In this week's KD Sunday Spotlight, we're highlighting UpStreet, a service that helps teenagers take charge of their mental health.

The Pittsburgh-based organization supports those ages 12-22 through free online counseling.

UpStreet Clinical Coordinator Erin Barr says they've also seen an increase in teenagers who need counseling, and now they have a wait list.

Barr says many of the teenagers they meet with are suffering from depression and anxiety.

She says if a teenager needs support, just go to UpStreet Pittsburgh's website to receive service from therapists by accessing the chat bot located at the bottom of the page. They can just drop-in or make an appointment.

UpStreet has helped more than 800 teenagers since its inception; they also give guidance to parents whose teens are suffering.

The organization has a peer mentoring program to help teenagers gain confidence and flourish. Teenagers get the advice from a trained peer through a text-based system.

Barr says they plan to open a drop-in center in the near future, so they can meet with teenagers face-to-face.