The National Alliance for Mental Illness says one in five teens and young adults in the U.S. lives with a mental health condition. Yet over 64% of young people who suffer from depression do not receive treatment.

On Wellness Monday, Dr. Marilyn Fraser, the CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health joined “News All Day” to discuss the grant she received for starting a new program called “Beyond the Stigma.” It’s a peer-to-peer youth-based model designed to break stigmas around mental health and wellness.

Dr. Fraser says that young people don’t want to talk about mental illness because of the stigma that surrounds the topic. Therefore, they often go undiagnosed.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, self-reported suicide attempts among Black adolescents rose almost 80% over the last 30 years. And suicide rates for girls are also on the rise, especially those who are Black.

Bullying, depression, and social identity are some issues that young people are grappling with.

The program incorporates a peer-to-peer model because Fraser says that young people are more inclined to talk to their friends and others their age about mental health. It also trains young people on how to provide resources and support to others.