CHARLES CITY, Iowa - Freshman Rylie Patre at Charles City Schools knows high school can be tough.
“I know a lot of people will judge and because we're high schoolers so we're trying to stop that,” Patre said.
Patre is talking about mental illness. Learning this month that kids her age may be suffering.
“They could be suffering from like bulimia, anorexia, anxiety and different things,” Patre said.
According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, 20 percent of youth ages 13 to 18 with a mental health condition. Eight percent of teens have an anxiety disorder.
“I know that one of my friends has anxiety and it's hard to balance thing with your anxiety,” Patre said.
Patre is asking her fellow friends and classmates to be more aware, to not judge someone right away if they're having a bad day. Their slogan is stigma-free is the way to be.
“Raising more awareness and making them find out more things for themselves so they know more about the mental health disorders people may be dealing with,” Patre said.