2023 Partners in Prevention Conference

By nearly every metric, youth mental health and behavioral health is worsening. During the 2020–2021 school year, over 60% of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem, according to the Healthy Minds Study, which collects data from 373 campuses nationwide. As most health practitioners and community leaders are aware, mental health is often interlinked with substance use disorders, and vice versa. These numbers continue to rise and serve as a national call to all specialists — in every discipline — to become equipped to battle this growing youth crisis. Today’s youth must gain heightened sensitivity of unhealthy behaviors, and be supplied with the resources and support to overcome challenging odds. This session explores the rise in digital media, and its increasing effectiveness in spreading awareness and delivering health messaging to Millennials, Gen Z, and generations beyond. Over 98% of college students currently use social media, some spending more than six hours per week doing so. By leveraging digital media strategies and tools to reach these audiences, we’ll be meeting youth right where they are with positive messaging for healthier outcomes nationwide.