By Julie Riddle, Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative
Recognizing the seriousness of the youth mental health crisis, the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of 12 media, educational and community organizations, undertook a six-month, solutions-focused reporting series on the topic, supported by Solutions Journalism Network.
SWMJC reporters asked experts ― from trained counselors to young people with lived experience — how today’s young people can be OK. Writers reported on promising solutions to the crisis, from music to horses, in a series of written stories.
Audio and video components, produced alongside the written narratives, help those lessons reach the young people who need them most.
Video project: Youth anxiety
“Anxiety will take as much room as you give it,” says Patti Criswell, who has spent her career listening to and helping young people through mental health struggles. In a video produced by Public Media Network, Criswell offers advice for parents of anxious teens and gives young people tips for managing anxiety and depression.
Podcaster and WMU student Sierra Ward, who interviews Criswell in the video, says social media, school bullying, and overwhelming decisions about their futures weigh high schoolers down. Criswell’s frank discussion of those concerns, shared in a video format, could help teens get the help that works for them, Ward says.
“Young people are being faced with so much in their world,” says Ward. “It’s important to give them grace.” She encourages parents unsure how to help a struggling son or daughter to “surround your kids with love and support and give them a soft place to land.”
Audio project: How to discuss mental health needs with adults
Current college-age young adults understand the mental health challenges teens face because they’ve lived it in the recent past. They also know asking for help with emotions can be tough.
In an audio project produced by a multimedia journalism class at WMU, college students asked other students what advice they would give to teenagers when broaching the subject of needing mental health support with their parents or other adults. Among the students’ suggestions: Ask your parents about their own worries as a way to connect, be direct, let them know you’re serious, open up about feelings even when it’s scary, and trust them to love you.
Marco Hutter, a WMU junior involved with the audio project, has struggled with anxiety off and on since he was 11.
He says that SWMJC’s Youth Mental Health audio and video projects bring a more personal element that encourages compassionate support, Huttler says.
“Sometimes adults might believe harmful stereotypes about people with mental health struggles,” Huttler says. “Struggling with mental health does not make anyone any less of a person.”
Other youth mental health stories
Five other print, online and broadcast solution-focused stories were part of the series:
An August article explored music therapy as a tool to help teens identify, verbalize, and study their emotions. Lyric analysis, rhythmic movement, songwriting, and improvised music creation give therapists a window into young minds ― a window increasingly important as the nation rallies around its hurting young people.
An audio news segment, produced and published by radio station WMUK, accompanied the music therapy story and gave listeners a taste of a music therapy session.
Childhood trauma carries long-lasting consequences, including affecting a teen’s mental health. A story about adverse childhood experiences and trauma-informed care shares stories of hope stemming from a local push for trauma education and prevention.
A Kalamazoo County therapist uses horses as a secret weapon to tap into teens’ mental health needs. In a Second Wave Southwest Michigan story, readers learn how the big animals respond to small cues to connect with humans on an emotional level and how equine-assisted therapy helps young people who may not thrive in traditional therapy.
In “The ‘Covid Cohort,’” Encore Magazine addresses the “Pandemic Skip,” a phenomenon leaving emerging adults who were in high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic emotionally tied to their younger selves. College preparation courses, job skills training, and tough-love parenting all show promise in easing anxiety and building resilience in these young people.
A story published in NowKalamazoo talks frankly about alarming teen suicide rates, especially suicide by firearm. With 19 reported teen deaths by suicide in the past decade, Kalamazoo County finds hope in solutions like increased focus on gun safety ― including at the state level ― and programs that promote teens’ emotional health.
The full series can be found on Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s website. The collaborative will also share its audio and video projects on social media.
Starting the conversation about mental health is scary, especially for a teen, says one young participant in the WMU audio project. But, with the support of a caring community, opening that door “can be that first big jump to opening up and getting the help you need.”
This story is part of Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative’s 2024 coverage of youth mental health issues, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to rigorous and compelling reporting about responses to social problems, http://solutionsjournalism.org. SWMJC is a group of 12 regional organizations dedicated to strengthening local journalism. Visit swmichjournalism.com to learn more.
