The focus of this week's program is "Mental Health Issues in Youth".  No matter where in the world you live, there are concerns about mental health and  emotional stability due to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other issues affecting school performance and family life of our youth.  Sometimes the pressures build up to the point of suicidal ideation in some teen's minds.  We want to share two videos which will (1) share the emotional overload and thought processes of a suicidal teen as presented by Canadian Alicia Raimundo, and (2) a groundbreaking youth forum highlighting mental health issues of students in Sydney, Australia. 

A TedTalk Published on Jun 12, 2012

Alicia Raimundo has been a mental health advocate since she was 13, after she experienced serious bouts of suicidal ideation as the result of her depression and anxiety. She knows she came perilously close to being part of Canada's grim suicide statistics. Ten years later, she spends her days finishing her undergrad degree in psychology, while volunteering at half a dozen mental health-related causes. She co-founded the online portion of Almond Health emotional wellbeing community website and is a member of a young adult team that works to translate academic mental health information into language that resonates with young people. She is also a facilitator of a "young survivors of suicide loss" group and takes every opportunity to speak publicly about mental health. Last October, she was on a panel of speakers for Canada AM's Speak Out On Suicide program and contributed to MTV's Let's Talk mental health campaign. Alicia's goal is to make people more connected to mental health issues while helping to eliminate the stigma attached to it.
 
 
While in Sydney, Australia for the Rotary International Convention held from June 1 - 4, 2014, President Ed and his wife, Robin, visited the KYDS facility and visited with David Citer, Manager of KYDS, and David Morris, a member of the Rotary Club of Lindfield and also a Board Member of KYDS.  Following is an introduction of KYDS which provides free mental health services to youth ages 12 - 18 and families nearby Sydney with no waiting list:
 
Earlier this year a youth forum on mental health issues was held on the North Shore of Sydney with 370 students, and 50 teachers from 28 schools in attendance.  The aim of the forum was to give participants a better understanding of mental health issues and to help de-stigmatise conditions like depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety.  A panel of industry professionals along with local MPs presented along with a mentla health advocate, Bronte O'Brien, who spoke to the students about her battle with bipolar disorder.  The students also took part in a one hour Q & A panel that included Police Officer Stephanie Murray and KYDS Manager David Citer.  Next they brainstormed strategies that they could not only use themselves but that they could take back to their schools to help and support their friends suffering from depression and anxiety.