Click on the image to access this episode. We are in the midst of a teen mental health crisis.
Today’s pressures are taking their toll on young people, resulting in a frightening rise in the rates of teen suicide and depression. This week we address these issues head-on with two brave teens who share their mental health struggles, and an organization dedicated to giving teens a safe space to re-establish mental wellbeing.
“Everything is so fast-paced and competitive. Part of that is social media,” say students Olivia and Arielle, Board Members of UMatter. “The sense of immediacy—everything has to happen right away, at the click of a button. There’s pressure to constantly be ‘on.’ To look and sound perfect, and act like you have it all together. But you don’t.”
Lots of people, especially high school students, assume that talking about mental health will feel awkward. However, this week’s guests have found that friends are happy to listen and offer support. The organization, UMatter, focuses specifically on teens who are struggling. Under the guidance of Rabbi Yarden Blumstein, UMatter operates on a peer-to-peer model of teens helping their peers overcome stigmas and other obstacles related to mental health. UMatter is a teen-driven initiative within the Friendship Circle family.
Watch MI Healthy Mind to learn more about these amazing teens and how they work together to support the mental health of students through programs like UMatter.
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