The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative’s (CYBHI) Stories from the Field series highlights critical work being done to address the behavioral health needs of children and youth, as well as ongoing efforts to improve systems and create sustainable change. These stories showcase the values and vision of the Initiative through personal experiences, composite stories and audiocasts, and they demonstrate how the CYBHI can build on existing efforts, learn from them and work towards scalable and systemic change.

The following composite story, grounded in conversations with youth over the last year, speaks to one of the calls-to-action for a reimagined ecosystem as identified by young people and families in the Youth at the Center Report: “Addressing stigma is a foundational first step.”

To an outsider, Christopher looked like a busy, highly-successful 17-year-old. He was on the honor roll at his San Francisco Bay Area high school, a leader in his extracurricular activities, and he worked weekends at the family’s market below their apartment.  

By the middle of his Junior year, Christopher was overwhelmed with anxiety, and he started using alcohol and cannabis to self-medicate. Worried about his drinking, some of his friends suggested that he see a counselor. But Christopher couldn’t bring himself to talk about counseling with his parents. While loving and supportive in many ways, they held stigmatizing beliefs about therapy and mental health support. He felt alone and trapped, unsure of how to address his pain.

Christopher knew his parents had been through many hardships. Like others in his neighborhood, they never had the opportunity to openly discuss and address their own mental health concerns because their time and energy was consumed with just meeting basic needs. More than anything, Christopher feared causing them stress and worry.

What he didn’t realize was that his parents were already worried. Although his grades were still good, and he was participating in all his activities, they couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just going through the motions. They worried when he stopped seeing friends and spent more and more time alone. His mother sometimes smelled alcohol on his breath, but she didn’t know how to talk to him about it. Finally, she reached out to one of Christopher’s teachers, who encouraged her to come to a workshop series the school was providing on teen mental health. After much discussion, she convinced Christopher’s father to come with her. What they experienced was not what they expected. 

Instead of talking only about their child’s well-being, the workshop leader had them explore how they could improve their own mental health. They learned about stress reduction and communication techniques, and they spent time talking with a counselor and other parents about what they were going through.

As Christopher’s parents received support, education and resources, their perspectives changed. In taking care of their own mental health, they learned how to talk to him about what he was going through. Their willingness to get support made it easier for Christopher to reach out and access the help he needed.

Supporting parents and caregivers is a crucial strategy for reducing stigma and fostering open communication. When family members are able to talk about and get help with their own struggles, and when they can access education and resources about mental health, stigma is reduced, and young people are encouraged to seek help by their elders. 

Reducing stigma is also part of a larger discussion about changing social norms around mental health. When young people across California were asked how stigma impacted them, they called for a culture shift that actively promoted mental health by normalizing rest, restorative practices, healing, therapy, peer support, cultural practices and community care – not just for young people who are struggling, but for everyone. These tools aren’t just a way to end stigma. Through them, we can change the social norms that create stigma in the first place. 

Christopher’s story emphasizes the need to raise awareness about mental health and substance use disorders among youth, families and communities as a whole. As part of its efforts, the CYBHI is providing tools, resources and information to raise awareness, reduce stigma and increase help-seeking behavior and wellness support.