In this episode, Approaching Youth Mental Health Holistically, we speak with Cherry Yamane and Hannah Rackers from Child Trends to discuss mental health challenges youth face, the landscape of mental health care services, and strengths-based approaches to support youth resilience by creating spaces where youth can thrive. Mental health challenges are increasing in youth, with 1 in 6 youth under the age of 18 experiencing a mental health condition (Whitney & Peterons, 2019). According to Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance data, one in three high school students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and one in six reported making a suicide plan in the past year (CDC, 2023). The recent U.S. Surgeon General’s report on Protecting Youth Mental Health emphasizes that youth should understand that mental health and well-being are essential components of overall health and that they should learn to recognize, manage, and learn from emotions (Murthy, 2021). Covering factors that may affect mental health outcomes is essential for youth-serving programs because mental health challenges often lead to increased risk-taking behaviors, including sexual risk behaviors. Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) programming provides an opportunity to arm youth with tools that may reduce the potential impact of a mental health condition, including tools to identify changes in well-being and resources to restore well-being such as self-care practices and support across a spectrum of services. Cherry Y.E.W. Yamane, MPH, is a Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) scholar-practitioner with over 9 years of experience working with Indigenous communities. Their experience is grounded in land-based, cultural practices, and drawing on ancestral wisdom as a source of healing and thriving. Their scope of public health practice includes mental and behavioral health, substance use, harm-reduction, trauma-informed care, and positive youth development. They are dedicated to the creation of a community-based, culturally driven intervention aimed at addressing mental and behavioral health concerns among Hawaiian youth, adolescents, and families. Hannah Rackers, M.P.H., is a Research Scientist whose work focuses on maternal and youth mental health and well-being. She has experience in psychiatric research, working directly with youth and adults with severe mental illness in case management and care coordination, and supporting program implementation for behavioral health promotion and treatment programs. She uses her skills and experience to support projects and provide training and technical assistance around program implementation, monitoring and evaluation data capacity building, data collection, and quantitative analysis. Her research interests include youth development, reproductive health, mental health, health equity, community health improvement, and systems transformation. The Elevate Youth Programming podcast was developed by RTI International and funded by FYSB. The Elevate Youth Programming content does not reflect the opinions of FYSB nor its training and technical assistance contractors but offers topics to provoke thought and provide grantees with tips and strategies to enhance programming.
