Project Lead: Dorothy Chiu

Key Team Members: Jennifer Moran (Community Well), others welcome/pending.

Project Description:

Youth mental health is in crisis. As existing mental health services struggle to meet current demands, complementary health approaches (CHAs) offer promising solutions. Many CHAs have evidence-bases for mental health and are practices youth can engage in independently. Yet, youth CHA usage is low, and lower in youth of color and low income. Barriers to engagement include low knowledge of and access to CHA and low health literacy. Hyperlocal factors likely play a role, though are understudied. This project seeks to conduct focus groups among local and/or underserved youth to better understand knowledge, attitudes, and barriers surrounding CHA usage. Based on focus group findings, tailored educational material(s) will be created to provide instruction, local area resources, and other key information to support youth in their use/access of CHAs for mental health. Possible editorial input from Osher’s expert providers will be pursued, and materials will be youth field-tested before community-wide dissemination.

Statement of Project Feasibility and Anticipated Impact: 

The project lead honed her qualitative skills throughout graduate and postdoctoral training and previously crafted public health educational materials for diverse youth audiences. SF’s Community Well is a community-based holistic health center with expertise in supporting health and well-being in diverse, under-resourced communities. The project lead and Community Well have collaborated on grants and share professional interests. (Please note the team welcomes more team members with interests in health communications/graphic design and integrative pediatrics/mental health!)

Project completion will entail creation of a youth-oriented, expert-reviewed, and disseminable booklet that provides actionable information on how youth can engage in CHAs (e.g., meditation, acupressure, nature therapy, etc.) for mental health promotion. Content will also address common needs and concerns and include local resources for support. Empowering youth with CHAs will promote integrative health equity. Anticipated benefits are expected for youth seen at Osher and UCSF and living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Estimated budget: $15,000.