Sustaining the Self: The Youth Mental Health Pandemic

Betty Lai, Amy Nam, Shanita Brown and Melanie Siebert

Sustaining the Self: The Youth Mental Health Pandemic

Betty Lai, Amy Nam, Shanita Brown and Melanie Siebert

7:30pm

Friday, October 29, 2021

Authors and experts in candid, live conversation reflect on the topics that matter most during this unprecedented time. For youth, the global pandemic has been a long haul of restrictions, isolation and uncertainty and many have faced significant impacts on their mental health. They have been coping with disrupted schooling, cancelled sports and community programs, heightened family stressors and feeling cut-off from friends. Youth, especially those who are already marginalized, are struggling more than ever with anxiety, depression, substance use, self-injury, and eating disorders. This panel discussion, with Betty Lai, Amy Nam, Shanita Brown and Melanie Siebert, will focus on the changes youth are calling for and explore strategies to support them to thrive. Tune in each day of the Festival to hear new speakers in critical conversation about the topics shaping today’s world.

English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.

Proudly supported by
Harriet Lewis and Eldon Bennett
Andrew and Valerie Pringle

The topics discussed in this event may be heavy for some. Feel free to step away as needed to take care of yourselves. The event will be recorded and available for 72 hours after airing.

If you need support, please reach out to:

Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone’s e-mental health services are available 24/7 across Canada. This means that they’re here for kids, teens and young adults from coast to coast to coast. Visit them here: kidshelpphone.ca

CAMH Resources
If you are in an emergency, in crisis or need someone to talk to, there is a list of resources available for areas in and around Toronto. Learn more here: camh.ca/en/health-info/crisis-resources

Panel Discussion

Authors and experts in candid, live conversation reflect on the topics that matter most during this unprecedented time. For youth, the global pandemic has been a long haul of restrictions, isolation and uncertainty and many have faced significant impacts on their mental health. They have been coping with disrupted schooling, cancelled sports and community programs, heightened family stressors and feeling cut-off from friends. Youth, especially those who are already marginalized, are struggling more than ever with anxiety, depression, substance use, self-injury, and eating disorders. This panel discussion, with Betty Lai, Amy Nam, Shanita Brown and Melanie Siebert, will focus on the changes youth are calling for and explore strategies to support them to thrive. Tune in each day of the Festival to hear new speakers in critical conversation about the topics shaping today’s world.

English captioning is available for this video. Please click the ‘CC’ button in the video toolbar to turn it on.

Proudly supported by
Harriet Lewis and Eldon Bennett
Andrew and Valerie Pringle

The topics discussed in this event may be heavy for some. Feel free to step away as needed to take care of yourselves. The event will be recorded and available for 72 hours after airing.

If you need support, please reach out to:

Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone’s e-mental health services are available 24/7 across Canada. This means that they’re here for kids, teens and young adults from coast to coast to coast. Visit them here: kidshelpphone.ca

CAMH Resources
If you are in an emergency, in crisis or need someone to talk to, there is a list of resources available for areas in and around Toronto. Learn more here: camh.ca/en/health-info/crisis-resources

Panel Discussion

Featured Authors

Dr. Betty Lai is an Associate Professor in Counseling Psychology at Boston College. Dr. Lai's research focuses on how children and families respond to disasters and other traumatic stressors. Dr. Lai's research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Her research has been recognized with awards from the American Psychological Association and the American Psychological Foundation. Dr. Lai has published over 75 articles and book chapters on mental health. She is the author of a forthcoming book on grant writing from Princeton University Press.

Read more about Betty Lai

Amy Nam is a 17-year-old from Toronto, Ontario with a deep passion for educational activism, storytelling and mental health. As the co-founder and executive director of The Reclamation Project, she strives to empower individuals from marginalized backgrounds and help people challenge their explicit and implicit biases through the organization's publication of  The Radical Magazine and  #ItStartsWithYOUth campaign. As a student, Amy is also interested in advocating for stronger mental health support within schools. Through her journalism work with various publications and media outlets, she hopes to promote student voices in the creation of mental health support systems and contribute to a more equitable, humanizing approach to education.

Read more about Amy Nam

Dr. Shanita Brown is a Subject Matter Expert for the AAKOMA Project and a board certified licensed professional counselor, speaker, adjunct professor and trainer that fosters transformative and empowering dialogue about various forms of intimate partner violence – particularly, Black teens and women – and mental health wellness. She is a trauma specialist with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field, serving various populations, including community mental health agencies, schools and colleges. She has authored scholarly articles, received numerous awards, been featured in media outlets and guests on podcasts, such as Therapy for Black Girls Podcast.

Read more about Shanita Brown

Melanie Siebert is a therapist in Victoria, British Columbia, who works with youth and families. Her book for young readers Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health is a finalist for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize. This wide-ranging guide to youth mental health highlights diverse, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive perspectives and shares the moving, true stories of youth finding their way to hope. Melanie has a Master of Social Work and a Master of Fine Arts. Her poetry collection, Deepwater Vee, was a finalist for Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award.

Read more about Melanie Siebert

7:30pm

Friday, October 29

What to read

Heads Up: Changing Minds on Mental Health by ,
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