YOUTH PARTNERSHIP IN MENTAL HEALTH

Written by Daniel Gutierrez, MD
Pictures by Rick Irizarry MD playing with Artificial Intelligence

A few weeks ago, I attended a national conference on mental health. I was impacted by a young man in his early twenties who gave a TED talk on his views about mental health status in the adolescent population. “Javier” delivered his presentation in a calm, non-pretentious manner and with a focus on his own experience, having suffered trauma in his childhood and experiencing significant covert anxiety and depression. He now realizes that adults at home and school around him appeared oblivious to his experience. “Javier” described how all efforts to cure him were imposed on him instead of being rooted in anyone asking what he needed. He also proposed a new approach to address mental health needs that can be adopted by health care providers and the mental health care system—one that asks the person dealing with mental health issues about their understanding of the circumstances they are facing as well as encourages their active participation in the healing process journey.

While I thought about his proposal of turning the hierarchy of diagnosis and treatment in contemporary mental health upside down, a pop-up in my phone noted that the US Surgeon General was calling for action on the latest epidemic in our country, “loneliness, isolation, and lack of social connection.” My first thought was, how can we be in this situation? We are supposed to be the most connected generation with our global technology and social media, and we can connect immediately with anyone worldwide with the power of our fingers on our smartphones.

How does this fit in with our current national epidemic of mental health? In the last three years, during the other global pandemic, we realized that social interactions could kill us, and we became fearful and mostly avoided social gatherings, including gazing into other people’s eyes—almost as if in fear of being turned into stone or being killed by Medusa (COVID-19). So, we became more withdrawn and doubled down on our addictive technologies, staring at our screens and interacting with others through brief texts and emojis. Many have become reluctant to interact in groups and engage in long and slow conversations allowing our ideas to slowly form and become more apparent, which helps our social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual experiences to mesh with others.

I believe our nation’s addictive tendencies are either caused or reinforced by the void this loneliness, isolation, and lack of deeper interactions with others causes. Of course, children and youth are at higher risk of becoming more isolated and lonelier as they become more dependent on technology. They might feel the “void,” but since they grew up in a world where the practice of “campfire” storytelling, shared experiences, and creating collective narratives, which defined our species from the very start, may not be part of their repertoire. Thus, our contemporary society, and specifically our youth, might be suffering from stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc., partly as a result of this void or traumas that most likely come from a lack of adequate social interactions, loneliness and isolation.

Many adults or specialists in mental health might fall back on our notions that this younger generation wants to lead before developing the skills they need to deal with their mental health issues. They want to fly the plane while they are still building it. Many adults are skeptical and doubt that the younger generation knows what they want, much less what they need.

First, let me say that previous generations were raised to follow the directives from above; knowledge came from very few voices and rolled down to those below. Today, many jobs require employees to work in teams, developing projects and ideas together and bringing these up for development versus being told what to do. I am not surprised that some of today’s youth are not wanting adults and “experts” to “cure” them with our expertise. They want us to use our knowledge—use our role and function—more as consultants, but also to collaborate with them to figure out their journey and experience and support their efforts during their recovery and healing process.

Transformations of the mental health care system should not worry or scare us. We need to be prepared as experts in mental health for changes and new expectations from those going through difficult times and being affected by this epidemic. We must be attuned and open to new understandings and insights by those seeking relief from suffering. We can offer collaboration and empathic listening and provide a “holding and supportive environment” during their distress. Of course, we can share “evidence-based” approaches that have proven to be effective at relieving symptoms and improving certain disorders, but only as part of a holistic and collaborative approach.

So, let’s ask our youth, usually brought in by their parents or those in authority, what is affecting you? Where do you think these sad and lonely feelings come from? Can you share your journey and what has influenced you to feel this way? How can I support your recovery and healing? Please let me know if I am interfering with your recovery or not understanding you. We are here to help those that are suffering. So, what is helpful to them?

Daniel Gutierrez MD

Daniel is a Board-Certified in Psychiatry as well as, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Currently, Dr. Gutierrez is Chief Medical Officer at Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, where he’s practiced child and adolescent psychiatry for the last 25 years. He holds a position as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UT – Rio Grande Valley’s School of Medicine. Dr. Gutierrez is also a co-founder of the Shrink Box podcast.

www.shrinkbox.org