According to This Psychologist, Book Bans Can Have a Negative Impact On the Youth's Mental Health
Dr. Allison Bashe, a psychologist and counselor of New Directions Mental Health, says book bans can have a detrimental impact on a young person's mental health.
When it comes to book bans, Florida substantially leads all other states with Texas, Missouri, Utah, and Pennsylvania making up the top five. With 186 book bans in Pennsylvania, the Pine-Richland school board had a meeting surrounding the issue. However, according to CBS News, no parent spoke up against banning books, which Dr. Bashe, a resident of the district, found concerning.
Some parents are "concerned about the books in question." One of the books, All Boys Aren't Blue by George Johnson, is a young adult memoir about growing up Black and queer; Dr. Bashe is worried that cutting off access to literature that features people who look like you, feel like you, and experience the world like you do can tremendously and negatively affect a young person's mental health.
Dr. Bashe argues that often the books being banned are those that feature people who are marginalized and already at risk for negative mental health consequences due to their experiences with discrimination.
Parents argue that the content is inappropriate, and they have the right to supervise their children's book choices. However, Dr. Bashe believes there's a difference in banning a book and working with educators to pursue an alternative.
What do you think about book bans and how they could possibly after a young person's mental health?
