Christoph Anacker, Erinn
Beck, Wei-Li Chang, Anthony
Trcuks, Julissa Gonzalez,
Imad Mawass,Louisa Benton.
Photo by: Capehart
Photography
The
panel, consisting of leading
experts in psychiatry, brain
research and social work,
engaged in conversation with
an audience of 150 people
including students, members
of the community, parents,
teachers, Board Members of
Palm Beach County Schools
and more
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(West Palm
Beach, Florida – October
2022) The country’s leading
depression research
organization, Hope for
Depression Research
Foundation (HDRF), hosted
their inaugural
awareness-building symposium
on the topic of “Teenagers
and Depression: Addressing
the Youth Mental Health
Crisis”
here in West Palm Beach, FL.
This public symposium took
place on Thursday, October
6th at the HKP Recital Hall
at Palm Beach Atlantic
University. HDFR invited
leading experts in
psychiatry, brain research
and social work to engage in
conversation for the
community.
The event,
originally scheduled to take
place the week prior but due
to Hurricane Ian was
postponed; however, the
attendance and energy of the
audience was certainly not
affected. The diverse crowd,
consisting of around 150
guests, included students
from both public and private
schools, parents, community
members, mental health
therapists, guidance
counselors, teachers and
more. There was also
attendance from HFDR’s
Co-Chair Scott Snyder, as
well as the Junior Committee
who initiated the event
including members Kameron
Ramirez, Hollis Pica, Joe
Hernandez and Stacey
Leuliette.
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Louisa
Benton, Executive Director
for HDRF, moderated the
discussion amongst the
following panelists:
Erinn
F. Beck, MS, LMHC:
Beck is an adolescent
psychotherapist with
Restoring Hope of the Palm
Beaches
Dr. Wei-li
Chang, MD, PhD:
Dr. Chang is Assistant
Professor of Clinical
Psychiatry at Columbia
University
Dr. Christoph
Anacker, PhD:
Dr. Anacker is Assistant
Professor of Neurobiology in
the Department of Psychiatry
at Columbia University
Anthony
Trucks:
Trucks is a former NFL
Athlete and International
Speaker
Imad
Mawass and Julissa
Gonzalez, Student
Ambassadors from Active
Minds Chapter at Palm Beach
Atlantic University
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The
discussion covered topics
such as how to identify
depression in teenagers,
real life experiences with
mental health, how social
media contributes to the
rise of depression amongst
our youth, what to do if you
think someone you know is
experiencing depression or
anxiety, and more. Following
the conversation, guests and
students were given the
opportunity to ask questions
to the panelists.
"I was so
inspired to see the interest
and engagement around this
very important topic this
evening," Louisa
Benton said.
"Not only from our audience,
but from the younger
generation of students that
were here tonight, who
shared personal experiences
and posed inquisitive
questions to our panelists.
We hope that through more
conversations like this, we
can continue to educate
schools and students to help
our adolescents in need and
remove the stigma that
surrounds depression and
other mood related
disorders."
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Facts about
Teen Mental Health
Our nation’s
youth are facing an
unprecedented mental health
crisis. Even before the
COVID-19 pandemic, rates of
depression, anxiety and
suicidal thoughts among our
adolescents were on the
rise. The pandemic
exacerbated those issues,
creating isolation and
disrupting learning,
relationships, and routines.
More than 40 percent of
teenagers state that they
struggle with persistent
feelings of sadness or
hopelessness, and more than
half of parents and
caregivers express concern
over their children’s mental
well-being. Recent
statistics show that:
-
More than one
in three high school
students has experienced
sadness or hopelessness, a
40% increase since 2009
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Every day,
almost 4,000 children and
teens attempt suicide
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Suicide is
the second leading cause of
death for teens ages 15 to
19
-
More than
half of parents and
caregivers express concern
over their children's mental
well-being.
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About HDRF
HDRF
was founded in 2006 by Palm
Beach resident and
philanthropist Audrey Gruss
in memory of her mother
Hope, who struggled with
clinical depression. Today,
HDRF is the leading
nonprofit organization
focused solely on advanced
depression research into new
and better treatments for
the illness. The World
Health Organization has
declared depression as the
leading cause of disability
worldwide, and yet
conventional medications
today are outdated and do
not fully work for 50% of
patients. The mission of the
HDRF is to spur innovative
neuroscience research into
the origins, medical
diagnosis, new treatments,
and prevention of depression
and its related mood
disorders - bipolar
disorder, postpartum
depression, post-traumatic
stress disorder, anxiety
disorder, and suicide. To
date, HDRF has provided more
than $45 million through
over 200 grants for
breakthrough depression
research that promises to
transform the way depression
is viewed, diagnosed,
treated and prevented.
Currently, HDRF has a
potential new class of
medication in pilot clinical
trials at Mount Sinai
Medical Center and Columbia
University.
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