More thn 200 students from across Cuyahoga County gathered at the City Club of Cleveland for the second annual Mental Health Matters Youth Summit.
The summit offered breakout sessions and seminars with local mental health experts to provide students with resources and healthy coping mechanisms.
Ariana Smith is the creator of the summit and educational engagement manager for the City Club of Cleveland. Smith said events like this give students a space outside of school to express themselves.
"Our schools are already doing such an amazing job, but there's only so many things that they can do and that they focus in on," Smith said.
James Mason, a junior at University School in Hunting Valley, said that events like this are the first step to change the stigma around mental health and to find community with other young people in Cleveland.
"There are a lot of kids who I feel like are going through similar situations as I am," Mason says. "Hearing their stories and how they got through their stories, and things that they use to cope or whatever the case may be, is very empowering to me."
Mental health is a big issue for Ohio's youth. Research from the Health Policy Institute of Ohio shows the state has higher rates of mental health conditions than the U.S. overall. A third of high school students in Ohio reported that their mental health was "not good" most or all of the time.
And according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there have been significant increases in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation among kids — especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health conditions are also associated with an increased risk of chronic physical health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or stroke.
Blake Lewis, a senior at Orange High School in Pepper Pike, said he's learning not to hold his feelings in, but to express them in constructive ways.
"People might think like bottling down emotions is good, but it's not," Lewis says. "You gotta get it out, you gotta talk to somebody, you've got to let it out. It's okay to be not okay."
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call or text the Frontline Suicide & Services Lifeline at 988.
