The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) teamed up with UW Department of Pediatrics faculty members and local teens for a YouTube video series about important mental health topics. In the “Asking for a friend” video series, faculty members answered teens’ questions about self-harm, anxiety, and depression.
Featured in the videos were Megan Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, Mala Mathur, MD, MPH, and Megan Yanny, MD.
The teens involved in the series are local to the Madison area. One of them is part of the Social Media and Adolescent Health Research Team’s (SMAHRT) Youth Advisory Board, led by Moreno. The Youth Advisory Board provides teens with the opportunity to build research skills and develop leadership qualities while also creating a space for teens to share their perspectives on SMAHRT’s research.
The other teens are part of the Wisconsin Providers and Teens Communicating for Health (PATCH) program. PATCH encourages young people to raise their voices to inspire positive change and offers positive programs to educate, engage, and empower other young people to do the same.
The AAP hopes the video series will educate teens on important topics related to health and mental health, and help encourage teens who are struggling with hard questions to talk to a trusted adult, such as their parents, guardians, teachers, and pediatricians. Subscribe to the American Academy of Pediatrics YouTube channel for more content.