LI Teen Summit To Address Rise In Mental Health Issues Among Youth

BELLMORE, NY — The surge of mental health issues since the pandemic has been felt by all ages, but perhaps the youth are most at risk.

The Long Island Youth Wellness Summit holds its third event on March 28.

"I've seen anxiety levels rise incredibly, social skills and social comfort among teenagers decrease significantly," Stacy Brief, a Bellmore-based social worker, who specializes in treating teenagers, said.

Brief said that self-harming and suicide levels are also on the increase.

"Overall, teenagers have lost out on a lot of teenage experiences," she said. "They've been launched into adulthood or they've been launched further into adolescence."

Brief, the event organizer, who is a social worker at Calhoun High School, wants students to have a safe space.

"[It] will, overall, instill message and practices for wellness," she said.

It's important, Brief said, to open a dialogue for the teenagers about mental health, while also improving their ability to problem-solve and set goals.

By learning to be better motivated, they can have "safe and positive mental health environments in their school communities," Brief said.

The six-hour summit at the Brookside Education Center in Merrick will feature students from 33 schools, primarily from Nassau County, including the first-ever Catholic school (Chaminade).

After a panel discussion, the teenagers will split off into various workshops based on their age. For example, sophomores will participate in "Knowing Your Worth," an important, timely conversation about self-esteem, especially in the age of cyberbullying.

As part of that workshop, the students will be given the tools "to balance less of an online presence and improve their face-to-face connections," Brief said.

A pair of Suffolk County schools (Half Hollow Hills West and Patchogue-Medford) are also joining the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide summit.