How Parents Can Lead the Way in Building Youth Resilience This School Year
This isn’t just another back-to-school season—it’s your opportunity to become the first line of defense in your child’s mental well-being. And you don’t have to do it alone. Alongside our venue partners at Crescent School, we’re bringing in leading youth mental health experts from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Join us at the first Generation Health Forum series, “Digital Minds,” to explore solutions for today’s youth mental health crisis. Leading psychiatrists Dr. Mark Sinyor and Dr. Rachel Mitchell will deliver two powerful sessions, moderated by Dr. Andy Smith and Dr. Elaine Chin. Designed for parents, educators, and communities, this evening spotlights practical ways to build resilience at home, in schools, and beyond.
From a medical standpoint, it’s clear that boys and girls often navigate these challenges differently. While girls are more likely to report anxiety, boys may experience depression that goes unrecognized or unspoken, sometimes leading to more severe outcomes such as higher suicide completion rates. According to recent 2024 data from the CDC, 13% of female students attempted suicide, compared to 7% of male students. However, male youth are more likely to die by suicide, largely due to help-seeking barriers and method lethality.¹
Social media further complicates these issues. A 2024 advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General warns that adolescents spending more than three hours per day on social media face double the risk of mental health issues.² Dr. Rachel Mitchell, one of our two Sunnybrook Health Sciences psychiatrists has highlighted how these platforms, particularly TikTok, contribute to anxiety and self-image issues among girls,³ while Dr. Mark Sinyor’s research has explored the ways that self-harm and suicide-related content can circulate and take root online. ⁴ These insights show that to support young people effectively, we need to understand the unique challenges they face, and act early.
As someone who’s witnessed these struggles in both clinical and community settings, I know how essential it is to equip parents, not just to protect their children, but to model the behaviors and boundaries that foster emotional resilience.
This is your call to action.
Let’s turn back-to-school stress into a roadmap for family mental wellness.
Join us, learn from the experts, and leave empowered to lead your family toward a more resilient year ahead.
Tickets can be purchased here.
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