(WTNH) — State lawmakers just unveiled a sweeping bipartisan bill addressing the mental health crisis that Connecticut’s kids and teens are facing, made worse during the pandemic.

In 2019, more than one in three high school students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness and one in five students seriously considered suicide, according to a recent report. ER visits in 2020 were also up.

Dr. Sten Vermund, dean of the Yale School of Public Health, is helping us understand this troubling trend and what can be done to help our children in crisis.

View the full interview in the video above