Understanding and discussing th complexities of mental health a wellbeing isn't easy.

Our menta health is made of all these different pieces and some.

Yeah they're broken, but some are wh all of it together makes up who are as individuals and as communities.

Finding ways to op about who we are and what we struggle with is the aim of a project that brings together conversations on mental health making art.

We'll discuss menta health.

Mosaic's right now on A Insight.

Discussing our mental well-being easy But it's important for anyone w struggling to know that they're Alaska Public Media's Adam Nice this story of an Anchorage comm project with that exact goal ca Mental Health Mosaic's.

We need to talk more about ment health.

That was an issue well before the pandemic.

And I thin of the good things that's actua coming out of the pandemic is t people are really starting to realize.

Mosaics is an art proj partnering with Habitat restore use old tiles, talking about wha use old tiles, talking about wha us strength us strength.

And to smash tiles holding us back.

Mental Health is this really com thing.

That's why we call it Mos in the first place.

Because our mental health as made up of all these different p and some, yeah, they're broken.

but some are whole.

And together up who we are as people and comm The hope behind this project is that people start thinking and talking abou mental health in new and differ ways and understanding that you identity is going to influence you think about mental health, relationship with your family members.

Your relationship with people around you, all of these community factors influence you Mental health isn't just an ind thing.

It's a community thing.

so through this project, throug aspects of this project interviews with people, really different lived experiences, we We're hopingh people start to t differently All of the supplies are donated and we're assembling them all throughout the month of April w plan to display the completed mo the Habitat Restore window in M for Mental Health Awareness Mon Mental health is important to m and my family.

I'm a firm belie that, um, feeling productive, feeling creative, feeling like you've, uh, made something usef important is essential.

to your mental well-being.

Habitat's mi is help families achieve afford home ownership.

And part of the stability and strength.

The n you have a safe place to live, a permanent place to live.

And so they're participating in someth something big.

And so this proj was great because it's its connections with the community.

abrepurposing materials and we' making art.

And so I think ever who's come in and participate f important.

You can see cipate f mohe habitat for Humanity restore in the importance of talking about taking care of our mental healt Ci Alaskas outstanding and her Center's student mental health 'll learn th Perrini to works in anchorages Perrini to works in anchoragesh mo platform in a minute.

A th health organization.

Welcome bo studio.

It's been a while since mo platform in a minute.

A aws actually did.

When episode for So, yeah, I'm very familiar wit And I think it's a great projec And they speak about some reall relevant and interesting topics you know, how about you sassily this new to you or are you is n me?

I believe I first heard abo yesterday and it's very excitin that something like this is goi in our own Alaskan community.

A am someone who's very involved my advocacy platform as well as find someth that's really important to me.

think it's really cool.

It's a combination together.

Do you th these are the kinds of public o events that can really prompt p to feel a little more comfortab seeking help, like sort of norm saying that, you know, we're we all there from time to time?

Ye think it's really important to have s events.

Um, especially because events.

Um, especially becausee think talking about it.

openly.

in th counseling field.

Of course, we always advocating for students, advocating for clients and we w to have open conversation.

But feel like outside this, you kno counseling community, there's there's still so much that we c in terms of getting the message there and normalizing mental he And it's not just about mental illness.

It's not just, you kno severe mental health concerns, also talking about your overall wellbeing.

That's part of like maintaining your mental health.

guess.

Absolutely.

Your overall health altogether.

You want to follow up there?

Cicely's thoug about this, this type of a proj and the impact it can have?

Yea yeah.

I completely agree.

I thi breaking the stigma is a very important piece to making sure we are able to make advances in education for mental health.

Th something that I'm very passion about and also the fact that it all about your well being.

Ment health is health.

And that's something that now people reali all the time.

So it's really important that we have events l these to get that message out t Mm hmm.

Perrini to a quick onli search of teens and mental heal will bring up immediately numer headlines and most of them have version of mental health crisis the headline.

It's like it's ja to look at the list of all of t different news accounts.

How mu this do you think is due to the stress of the pandemic?

and how was there before covid started?

I know that you can't pass it exactly.

But what what have you in that regard?

I feel like the pandemic has had a big impact.

Everyone's mental health, not o students, clients, but also oth and teachers and parents.

So ov I feel like we're living with t collective stress of dealing wi the band, dealing with the uncertainty of what's going on.

it's just brought to light so m more crisis events right now.

Jeffrey, it's important for us respond to that and not be reac essentially, but respond to it be proactive in our prevention strategy.

is proactive in our wellness strategies.

So I think that'll be important because we coming back to transitioning ba in person mediums, for schools, for workp And there's a lot of anxiety ar coming back.

There's a lot of s about reintegration.

So that's equally it's equally important look at how we can make that integration back into, I guess, pandemic normalcy how we can support everyone in and not only others, but oursel also.

It's so true.

I myself, w optional, on the one hand, I th oh yeah, we're making progress.

meeting I went to, I thought, w also.

It's so true.

I myself, w no, I think I want still so the anxiety with that transit.

And also has to be acknowledged whe think about factors that have affected young people before, covid talk about some o whe triggers before it.

Yes.

Yeah, mean, there's the usual at scho There's stress about academic are pretty high.

So children ar experienced really.

And when yo ACS, we're talking about advers childhood experiences.

Yes.

Som people under stress and apparen with after the pandemic, those scores gone even higher.

So so trauma, depression, anxiety, th were some of the things that we really saw before the pandemic.

right now, it's it's heightened more.

It's become more intense who may have been performing we were some of the things that we really saw before the pandemic.

before the pandemic with online schooling and staying at home, though high performing students had difficulty keeping up with haisolation, with not having, y social contacts or social suppo not being able to be active in activities that they were usual taking.

Part.

And so so even wi students who may have been doin really well before the pandemic l as wellll before the pandemic activities that they were usual taking.

Part.

And so so even wi Th as well.

Since I see you nodding, are a student.

You know very we about these these issues were existing before the pandemic ad another layer of stress and complexity.

What were your elf and for other young people in schoo about what some of those big stressors are today?

Well, I ha been a student in Alaska for my complete education.

So far and Anchorage School District, both pa have that sort of perspective o knowing the struggles for teach challenging time for all of us are around kids every day and t isolation that is already provi wi so Geographe physically isolating hard for people and we have som the worst, worst rates in the country of suicide and substanc abnd Bush communities.

And I think t huge part of it.

And now with t country of suicide and substanc pandemic added isolation that w sure that we prioritize people' health has added to that.

And obviously, we care about people health and we want to make sure we're keeping people safe.

But mental health is health, it's a important to that as we're doin that, we realize we need to prioritize your mind's health a well, because your brai It's a part of your body, and i mentionedparents or teachers.

S mentionedparents or teachers.

S prioritize your mind's health a well, because your brai lot of students.

And I I'm sure you have good support.

But yet some of your writing about how prioritize your mind's health a well, because your brai lot of students.

And I I'm sure wake up and, you know, keeping semblance of a routine talk abo terly in the morning, there is comfor a routine and how did you deal that?

Well, something about hel grade.

I'm a junior in high sch now.

and I see the same person something that was suggested to around the time that struggling these things is my counselor ta maybe we should start getting i medication since this pandemics online school and I was getting in the morning and literally ge on my computer, doing school on bed.

So I didn't really have to But that was when I started to medication for my anxiety and depression.

and it made the transition probably a lot easie That would have been had I have in person school.

But I think j going to therapy like once a we once every other week at that p was a really great tool.

And my therapist was helping me.

She w noticing like, oh, this could b solution right now.

And in a wa that was something positive tha came out of the pandemic for me it has definitely changed some things.

And now I think I see a improvement because of that.

I don't like waking up early.

I'm a morning person, but well, the some science behind that.

Yeah.

No fault of your own, that's fo sure.

Partita we recently featu short documentary called A Mill Strangers in their Pocket, turn kind of to social media.

The im there and that was about the ri teens from online predators.

Th also a million filtered and enh body and face images online.

Th pressure to be perfect, so unattainable.

Talk about the im of that to youth self-esteem be I mean, it's been a very long t since I was young, but I rememb how much pressure there was whe was a young person.

The competi between people and and I can't fathom how much more difficult now with the impact of social m Just a barrage constantly.

What you seen in that regard?

Yeah, think it's important to recogni first that this is the language children are speaking and acknowledging social media.

Thi the way they socialize.

This is way they communicate with the w This is their main source of socialization.

right now.

And w it can have negative effects, i also bring support for them in ways that we probably didn't ha even five years ago.

But it is really difficult to keep going online and seeing these ways in which I don't mea up all these ways in which I wi were this way.

I wish I looked way.

I wish I had these clothes wish I had these exciting adven Yes.

Yeah.

So there's always go to be something better out that there's always going to be some or someone who looks like they' doing better online.

That's not always the case.

Very rarely.

W were promoting our true selves social media and that's I think important for children to have education around that, that thi something that is kind of stage This is this is what we want to portray to the world.

And just how we do it, others are also d that.

And it's not always the e truth of what's going on, even though it seems like this perso might have the life.

I wish I h it's probably not what's going behind that poster behind that camera that's so hard to unders That full context when you're j looking at this very narrow vie the world, especially for kids are isolated.

Talk about your o experience in that Sicily and a somebody who has competed in pageants and had to deal with t pressures, how do you help your from despairing over those thin Because, you know, there is no perfect.

Yeah.

So I'm I know a about technology.

I want to go study videography in college an couple of years and something t helped me personally to get thr that and keep remembering that don't need to measure up to the people.

Is that social media ca a really great tool and I use i promote my personal platform.

M matters that focuses on student mental health advocacy and educ and just letting everyone know, I'm a public figure.

I do pagea I miss Alaska's outstanding tee I still struggle with my mental health.

I still see a therapist it's a really important piece i destigmatizing of things.

And I think that making sure that we positive role models to look up is something that's really impo Recently, in the pageant commun we lost a former Miss USA who t her own life.

Today is actually birthday.

But that was just a r hard hit in a reminder that all these things matter.

So much.

A when you see someone online tha doing all these amazing things, doesn't mean that that's the on thing that's going on their lif There's a person behind that sc I think almost what's more impo is making sure that people are respectful online and not comme rude.

Harrar saying things and following accounts that actuall make them feel good and don't i their mental health and negativ ways.

That's such an important to who you're following and wha you're looking at.

And of cours we know, it's so easy to just k going down more rabbit holes.

A it's important to try to stay a platform of positivity rather t some of what you can get engage Their Partita.

You've been in A just a couple of years previous providing mental health support students in Mumbai.

How do the stressors and trauma that young people in Alaska grapple with k of compare and contrast?

Is it pretty much the same or kids, k no matter where they are or I shouldn't call them kids, young people.

I think universally we struggle with mental health iss At some point in our life, and that's that's something that al kids do have some experience wi if not with themselves.

than th friends.

There are some differe in how it's, I guess, responded an analysis you're in.

It's mor a stigma to talk about mental h and we'd much rather go to the doctor for a stomachache than t go to therapy.

And I feel like kids, these days or students th days are far more willing to advocate for themselves and the friends and go seek help.

But i little more difficult in India.

on the other hand, we also have wider social networks in India more communal based, we're more reliant on our community.

If go talk my parents.

I know that I go to an aunt or an uncle or a distant cousin even because we' that connected culturally, beca we're more of collectivistic.

S society and I feel like your it more individual stick.

So it's really important to build those connections here in sometimes students don't have that connec They don't have anyone to rely which makes it even that much m important.

Do reach out to peop and talk about when things are wrong or when they need support when they need additional suppo build that network.

You're ther well.

And as we know, that is t most difficult time to do that, because as you feel worse about whatever is troubling you, ofte response is to just further iso Sicily, talk about how you talk other young people about that a of about the importance of at t time that you least want who is you most need to reach out?

Yea I've had a couple of friends in situation where they're seeking for their mental health and I a absolutely willing to be that p that they come to.

I let my fri know that, like, if you ever ne someone to talk to, I'm here.

E my mom is here.

She loves helpi out my friends.

And my dad is, He teaches at my high school an have that privilege of having someone that I'm already close my school community.

But I think just letting them know there really is people that car about you and would rather see getting help, even though thera still a big stigma about that medication.

and everything, the rather see you getting help and making it to the next time you' going to be in their class.

and have personally used social med promote that message.

like I said, using as a tool is really important in knowing you audience.

and I think that just making su destigmatize it as a public fig I am as with the platform I've given as Miss Outstanding Teen has been really important to me just making sure that I spread message as Cesa as well is impo to me.

So that's kind of the th that I stand for and tell peopl hopefully it helps.

I'm I'm sur that it does.

Perrini any day s statistic in VOA Alaska video t one of the videos that said 80 percent of youth with diagnosed mental health concerns have unm needs.

That was just staggering percent talk about how VOA Alas the approach that you take to providing mental health service Anchorage schools.

Mm hmm.

So r now, we're using a tiered model a three tiered model to not onl provide one on one intensive services, which includes indivi accounts, paying family counsel but also wide supports to the s And that includes doing groups anxiety's stress and also suppo for parents and teachers at the school because they're the ones also dealing w students and they need support well.

So our hope is that with wider and broader services, we' able to reach more students and staff and provide support to th school as a whole.

to support t school's well-being as a whole, be able to support individual students who are struggling rig now.

So a lot of it is just bei they're showing up when when a teacher needs us, we're there.

a student needs us further.

I t that's such important message.

Generally, with both of you tha you're there for others.

And th huge and can make all the diffe Thank you both so much.

for bei here in person.

tonight.

So gre have you both on hand.

Asking f help isn't always easy, but it' always important.

Everyone stru at times and help is available.

you're in Anchorage, this weeke Alaska Public Media will host a mental health resource fair on Sunday.

May 1st, from 11:00 a.m three p.m. to shine a light on mental health awareness Month.

fair is free and family friendl That's it for this edition of A INSIGHT.

Be sure to tune in dai for your local public radio sta for Alaska Morning News and Ala News Nightly every weeknight, p of important conversations happ on talk of Alaska every Tuesday morning.

and visit our website, Alaska Public Dog for breaking and reports from across the sta While you're there, sign up for Free Daily Digest.

So you won't any of Alaska's top stories of day.

We'll be back next week.

T for joining us.

I'm Lori Townse Goodnight