Speakers<\/b><\/b><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/siliconeer.com\/current\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/07-25-25-Gen-Z-Lonely-spekaers.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/p>\n
- \n
- Dr. Kiara \u00c1lvarez<\/b>, Bloomberg Assistant Professor of American Health, Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Joint appointment, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine<\/li>\n
- Victoria Birch<\/b>, Advisory Board Member, California state Office of Youth and Community Restoration and volunteer at Beloved Village<\/li>\n
- Soo Jin Lee<\/b>, LMFT, Therapist and Director of the Yellow Chair Collective<\/li>\n
- Dr. Ovsanna Leyfer<\/b>, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology and licensed clinical psychologist, Child and Adolescent Fear and Anxiety Treatment Program, Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders at Boston University<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n\u201cWe\u2019re in a true public health crisis,\u201d said Dr. Ovsanna Leyfer. \u201cBut we also know what works \u2014 the question is whether we can deliver it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Generation in Crisis<\/b><\/h3>\n
More than 40% of Gen Z \u2014 those between ages 13 and 28 \u2014 report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. One in five has seriously considered suicide, Leyfer shared. \u201cThese aren\u2019t just statistics. These are kids in classrooms, homes, clinics \u2014 or worse, kids who can\u2019t even access those spaces for help.\u201d<\/p>\n
While social media and the long shadow of COVID-19 have drawn national focus, Dr. Kiara Alvarez emphasized that youth of color face deeper, systemic challenges.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Black and Latino adolescents, racism is a chronic stressor,\u201d said Alvarez. \u201cIt\u2019s not about isolated traumatic events \u2014 it\u2019s the daily toll of being treated differently, being stereotyped at school, and worrying about safety in their communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among Latino youth, stress is often intensified by immigration fears, language barriers, and financial struggles. \u201cIf you\u2019re translating bills for your family at age ten, or your parents are working multiple jobs, it rewires your stress response,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cThese kids are navigating chronic threat environments \u2014 and we\u2019re not responding fast enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
What Works: CBT and Its Limits<\/b><\/h3>\n
Leyfer highlighted the proven effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), calling it the \u201cgold standard\u201d for adolescent mental health treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cCBT helps teens recognize harmful thought patterns, manage their emotions, and build lasting coping strategies,\u201d she said. \u201cBut even when young people seek help, too often they don\u2019t receive the right kind of care.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a big difference between venting and actually learning to think differently, feel differently, and function better,\u201d Leyfer added.<\/p>\n
She advocated for embedding CBT into schools, primary care, and telehealth systems to broaden access. \u201cIf we meet youth where they are, we can actually shift outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, she noted that clinical treatment alone isn\u2019t enough. \u201cMental health is also about identity, community, and belonging. That\u2019s where culturally grounded care matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Healing Through Identity and Culture<\/b><\/h3>\n
Soo Jin Lee emphasized the importance of therapy that reflects cultural experiences, especially within Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn AAPI communities, we\u2019re not just confronting stigma \u2014 we\u2019re breaking through generations of silence,\u201d said Lee.<\/p>\n
She explained that many Asian American youth carry the invisible weight of intergenerational trauma \u2014 rooted in histories of war, displacement, and sacrifice. \u201cEven if they don\u2019t know the full story, they feel the emotional residue: the pressure to achieve, the shame around struggle, the guilt of rest.\u201d<\/p>\n
To help address this, Yellow Chair Collective uses nonverbal practices like tai chi, breathwork, and sound baths. \u201cSometimes therapy is just sitting on a mat and breathing together,\u201d Lee said. \u201cWords aren\u2019t always necessary to begin healing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Western models of mental health, she added, don\u2019t always resonate. \u201cIf all we offer is talk therapy with a clipboard, we\u2019ll lose so many young people. We need therapy that reflects their identities and honors their histories.\u201d<\/p>\n
A Story of Survival<\/b><\/h3>\n
Victoria Birch shared her powerful personal journey through anxiety, depression, self-harm, foster care, and incarceration.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt didn\u2019t feel like support \u2014 it felt like punishment,\u201d Birch said of her early experiences with mental health systems. Incarcerated from ages 16 to 22, she said, \u201cI didn\u2019t know how to belong. And when you don\u2019t feel like you belong, you find other ways to survive \u2014 even if they hurt you.\u201d<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until connecting with Beloved Village, a community-based organization, that things began to change. \u201cThey didn\u2019t make me prove my pain. They just showed up,\u201d Birch said. \u201cThat\u2019s what real support looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now working with California\u2019s Office of Youth and Community Restoration, Birch speaks publicly about the importance of mental health support for youth.<\/p>\n
When asked what healing means to her, she replied: \u201cSometimes it\u2019s just someone sitting next to you. Even in silence. Just being there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Moving Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n
Supporting Gen Z means expanding access to both evidence-based treatment like CBT and culturally affirming care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to honor both science and story,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cCBT builds skills, but cultural belonging gives life meaning. Youth deserve both.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lee agreed. \u201cWe can\u2019t expect young people to mold themselves to broken systems. We need to rebuild those systems to reflect who they truly are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leyfer added that while CBT isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all solution, \u201cIf we can get more of it into schools, clinics, and digital platforms, it could be a real game changer for this generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
All images provided by ACoM.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As youth suicide rates rise and depression deepens across the U.S., mental health experts are urging leaders to take swift, culturally informed action rooted in evidence-based treatments. In a media briefing on July 25, hosted by American Community Media, a panel of experts discussed the grappling of loneliness within the Gen-Z community and what can…<\/p>\n
- Victoria Birch<\/b>, Advisory Board Member, California state Office of Youth and Community Restoration and volunteer at Beloved Village<\/li>\n