An Open Conversation About The Youth Mental Health Crisis

The youth mental health crisis has peaked throughout the pandemic. There has been a significant increase in youth anxiety, eating disorders and emergency visits to the ER. So, the question is – what can we do to help our children? Join Dr. Jean Clinton and I in this open conversation about youth mental health.

Ball Real Estate and Walton Wood Farm generously sponsored this event, making it FREE for everyone to view. With their support, we were able to partner with GPHSF, Your Family Health Team, to raise funds for youth mental health resources in the community. To help us reach our goal, click HERE.

Dr. Jean Clinton is a Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster, division of Child Psychiatry. She has been a consultant to children and youth mental health programs, child welfare, and primary care for over 30 years. Dr. Clinton is renowned nationally and internationally as an advocate for children’s issues.

Not only is Dr. Jean Clinton a mental health professional, she’s also a Mom.

How do I know if my child is struggling situationally or clinically?

As a parent, this can be difficult to determine. Here are some key questions to ask yourself when trying to make that distinction.

How intense are these feelings and changes? How frequently are they taking place? Is it significantly interfering with their day to day life?

If they’re intense, happening all the time and their day to day lives are significantly impacted, seeking external help is likely beneficial.

As parents, we spend a lot of time trying to manage, to find the problem and fix it. When you take a moment to step back and listen, you get a better sense of what your child is trying to tell you. Instead of seeing it as attention seeking, you’ll view it as connection seeking. What is this behaviour telling you? Why this, and why now?

For more tips and insights when dealing with youth mental health and anxiety, check out the interview above.

Dr. Jean Clinton also has a book titled “Love Builds Brains”. As you can see, I have plenty of stickies in mine and come back to it all the time. If you’re able to make the investment, I highly recommend getting yourself a copy. To get yours, click HERE!

Related: Connection Is Key To Understanding Your Child