YouthAwareIssue11
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Cover credits: The Atlantic, NPR<br />
EDITOR'S NOTE<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
Fall is upon us, the season of change, of transition and<br />
new beginnings.<br />
While we know that warm days will be behind us, we<br />
also look forward to the beauty that autumn brings.<br />
We also look forward to schools reopening- a huge<br />
transition for many like me, who cannot wait to return<br />
to learning in person. "Back-to-School" season has<br />
never been more meaningful! As the pandemic<br />
continues to rage, kids and parents are cautiously<br />
optimistic for the new school year.<br />
The isolation has taken a toll on us and teen mental<br />
health has suffered during the pandemic. School<br />
reopening is a vital step towards supporting kids<br />
emotionally. In this issue, we address the parallel<br />
mental health pandemic that is taking a bigger toll than<br />
COVID-19.<br />
We are excited to publish an inspiring interview with Dr.<br />
John Lynch in this issue. "Making of a Leader" highlights<br />
the incredible journey of Dr. Lynch, who is the Medical<br />
Director of Infection Prevention & Control, Harborview<br />
Medical Center, at UW School of Medicine.<br />
His journey shows that a true leader not only leads<br />
from the head of the line, but also mobilizes and<br />
supports those at the back .<br />
I hope you enjoy reading this issue and wish you the<br />
best for school!<br />
Grewal<br />
CO-FOUNDER<br />
Mehr
HAPPINESS<br />
TIP #6<br />
CHANGE WITH<br />
MEET<br />
CONFIDENCE<br />
BY KATIE REMPE<br />
The seasons are changing, school is<br />
about to begin here in the United<br />
States, and there is no question that<br />
this year will be different than any<br />
other school year. Feeling anxious?<br />
That’s to be expected! The key to<br />
facing big changes is confidence: belief<br />
in yourself that you can meet the next<br />
challenge, walk through that open<br />
door, and take action!<br />
Where do you find that kind of<br />
confidence? You can find it in your<br />
past. Think back on all the things you<br />
did well especially during hard times.<br />
This reveals your strengths. To help<br />
you get you started:<br />
1. You are flexible. You adapted to<br />
Covid, to wearing a mask and keeping<br />
a physical distance while maintaining<br />
relationships with friends, teachers,<br />
and family. Be prepared to make<br />
changes in your routines again this<br />
year.<br />
2. You are curious. You have learned<br />
many new skills based on your<br />
interests. Design your<br />
projects this year around things you<br />
want to learn about.<br />
3. You are kind. You have stepped in<br />
to help others many times. Your<br />
kindness is contagious, it makes<br />
people want to be around you. Every<br />
smile, every door you hold open<br />
causes a ripple effect, making a better<br />
day for everyone around you.<br />
4. You are willing to share your<br />
emotions, which builds strong<br />
relationships. Continue to open up to<br />
others and be a listener as well.<br />
5. You focus on the positive. You<br />
remember the good moments and let<br />
go of the hard ones.<br />
Change is in the air, and you can greet<br />
it with confidence! Walk through those<br />
doors with an open mind.<br />
Listen, have fun, and most of all smile,<br />
they will see it in your eyes.
The PARALLEL<br />
PANDEMIC<br />
the teen mental<br />
health crisis<br />
during covid-19<br />
BY LAUREN<br />
CHANG<br />
Disrupting school and interactions<br />
with peers, the pandemic has left<br />
teens with stress, anxiety, and<br />
other mental health challenges.<br />
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic<br />
began, concerning mental health<br />
trends and major treatment gaps<br />
were noted among adolescents in<br />
the United States.
According to data from the<br />
National Survey on<br />
Drug Use and Health, an<br />
estimated 13.3% of US<br />
adolescents aged 12-17<br />
experienced at least 1 episode<br />
of major depressive disorder in<br />
2017, yet 60.1% of these<br />
individuals did not receive<br />
treatment for their<br />
illness. These issues are being<br />
further exacerbated by the<br />
current crisis, with an especially<br />
high risk of worsening mental<br />
health among individuals with<br />
pre-existing psychological<br />
problems. There are<br />
increased symptoms of<br />
depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic<br />
stress disorder<br />
among youth of various<br />
age groups. For adolescents<br />
and teens, whose interactions<br />
with peers are so central to<br />
their lives and development,<br />
the pandemic’s shrinking of<br />
their world has been especially<br />
difficult. Schools provides a<br />
safety net to recognize child<br />
abuse, mental health-related<br />
issues,<br />
homelessness, and other<br />
concerns. During the<br />
pandemic, we haven’t had<br />
that system in<br />
place.Adolescents and other<br />
youth are also affected by the<br />
impact of the pandemic on<br />
their caregivers, including<br />
unemployment, financial and<br />
emotional stress,<br />
and fear of infection.<br />
Adolescents and other youth<br />
are also affected by the<br />
impact of the pandemic on<br />
their caregivers, including<br />
unemployment, financial and<br />
emotional stress,<br />
and fear of infection.<br />
Time for conversations<br />
Parents set the tone in the<br />
household. Keeping lines of<br />
communication open with<br />
kids can give parents<br />
a glimpse into their minds.
Some children or adolescents may need more time and space to<br />
express their feelings. Some may do better with gradual<br />
conversations and other activities besides talking, such as<br />
painting or drawing to express themselves and manage stress.<br />
Others might be more comfortable with direct conversations or<br />
activities.<br />
They may need to talk to a trusted adult about how to keep up<br />
social connections safely, or their feelings of boredom, loss, and<br />
even guilt.<br />
Staying in touch with the child’s pediatrician is vital. They can give<br />
families guidance on ways to best support their child and check<br />
in on the child’s social and emotional health.<br />
As we navigate this pandemic, let’s help ourselves, our peers and<br />
friends by taking the first step… to start the conversation.<br />
Supporting kids through loneliness, anxiety, and frustration can create<br />
a safe space for conversations between kids and trusted adults
why i like gardening<br />
summer I developed a new hobby. I<br />
This<br />
to grow something. I decided to<br />
wanted<br />
a small patch of land in my backyard<br />
use<br />
grow a kitchen garden<br />
to<br />
aunt Sarah inspired me to try<br />
My<br />
and helped me prepare the<br />
gardening<br />
by mixing in compost with the dirt.<br />
patch<br />
bought 6 huge bags of compost and<br />
We<br />
the soil upside down<br />
turned<br />
compost was a bit smelly but it had a<br />
The<br />
texture. The dirt became very<br />
beautiful<br />
and fresh. Once we aerated the soil,<br />
soft<br />
planted tomatoes, peas, strawberries,<br />
we<br />
chard, basil, cilantro, mint, rosemary,<br />
kale,<br />
potatoes, and rhubarb.<br />
basil,<br />
watered the plants daily and took out the<br />
I<br />
I even put a fence to keep rabbits<br />
weeds.<br />
my gardener out because he would<br />
and<br />
it up. mess<br />
even talked to my plants daily, telling<br />
I<br />
how beautiful they were. Sometimes,<br />
them<br />
plants talked back<br />
the<br />
me, gently swaying in the wind<br />
to<br />
two months, I had a bumper crop of<br />
In<br />
– including tomatoes,<br />
vegetables<br />
peas, carrots, beets,<br />
potatoes,<br />
and greens. I am enjoying eating<br />
herbs,<br />
veggies every day just as much as I<br />
fresh<br />
growing them. My book called<br />
enjoyed<br />
Garden Primer” tells me about<br />
"The<br />
plants and I hope to continue<br />
different<br />
next year as well!<br />
gardening<br />
by simar grewal
BY SHRAVYA KOTHA<br />
EXPLORING<br />
BEIODIVERSITY
An ocelot, an endangered species native to the Amazon region<br />
The term biodiversity “shortened form of two words "biological" and "diversity”<br />
refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and all<br />
the variety of life that can be found on Earth (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms)<br />
as well as to the communities that they form and the habitats in which<br />
they live.<br />
Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives. We value biodiversity for many<br />
reasons. This means we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and<br />
for the value it has in its own right. Humans obtain many basic needs from<br />
biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine. Further, ecosystems provide<br />
crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, water<br />
purification, nutrient cycling, and control of agricultural pests. Biodiversity also holds<br />
value for potential benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other<br />
possible unknown services.<br />
Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, through cultural or piritious<br />
reasons. Finally, biodiversity and its value can also be understood through the<br />
relationship we form and strive for with each other and the rest of nature. These<br />
relational values are part of peoples’ individual or collective sense of wellbeing,<br />
responsibility for and also a connection to the environment and nature. The different<br />
values placed on biodiversity are important because they can influence the<br />
conservation decisions people make every day.
A close up of a red-eyed tree frog in Costa Rica<br />
However, as the human population rises and wild areas are razed to create<br />
farmland, housing and industrial sites. The felling of forests is often the first step and<br />
30m hectares - the area of the Britain and Ireland - were lost globally in 2016.This led<br />
to a loss of biodiversity.<br />
Poaching and unsustainable hunting for food is another major factor. More than 300<br />
mammal species, from chimpanzees to hippos to bats, are being eaten into extinction.<br />
Pollution is a killer too, with orcas and dolphins being seriously harmed by long-lived<br />
industrial pollutants. Global trade contributes further harm: amphibians have suffered<br />
one of the greatest declines of all animals due to a fungal disease thought to be<br />
spread around the world by the pet trade. Global shipping has also spread highly<br />
damaging invasive species around the planet, like rats.<br />
Why do we need to protect biodiversity? Biodiversity is the key indicator of the<br />
health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a<br />
limited number of them in large populations. Even if certain species are affected by<br />
pollution, climate change or human activities, the ecosystem as a whole may adapt<br />
and survive. But the extinction of a species may have unforeseen impacts, sometimes<br />
snowballing into the destruction of entire ecosystems.
the need to live up to others’ expectations and to keep up with trends we may<br />
not be comfortable with.<br />
Social media, like a double edged sword, adds to these pressures especially on<br />
young people who are the most vulnerable.<br />
COVID-19 has pushed mental health front and center in a way it wasn’t<br />
before. The pandemic increased the demand for conversations around mental<br />
health. Celebrities like Biles and Osaka have further highlighted the need to<br />
acknowledge and own mental health struggles.<br />
In general, research shows that mental health issues are most likely to affect<br />
people during their teens and young adulthood. That’s not surprising, given the<br />
dramatic social changes occurring at that point in people’s lives. About 30% of<br />
people aged 18 to 25 years report having a diagnosis of a mental illness in<br />
the preceding year, which means this age group already represents a higher<br />
risk group. Even more concerning, the impact of mental health issues can be<br />
more grave in this age group than in any other.<br />
It’s ok to not be ok<br />
Acknowledging a mental health struggle is by no means a sign of weakness.<br />
Rather, it is the first step on the road to building resilience. While stoicism was<br />
the norm years ago, acceptance is the mantra today. The willingness of<br />
athletes to acknowledge their struggles sets an example young people around<br />
the world to speak up and seek help.<br />
This isolating pandemic really highlights the<br />
fact that nurturing our<br />
minds just as we care for our bodies has<br />
never been more relevant.<br />
As a generation of change , we can<br />
spearhead these conversations and help<br />
reduce the stigma surrounding mental health.<br />
After all, we are all human.
PLAYDATE<br />
WITH A FOX (OR 2)<br />
B Y I V A N K A V A R S H N E Y
There are so many different ways to connect with animals in their natural habitat. I like to<br />
see and interact with animals in their natural setting. But sometimes animals need<br />
rehabilitation after being injured and need to be rescued and live in sanctuaries.<br />
One such sanctuary is called Wolf Park located in Battle Ground in Indiana. It mostly has<br />
wolves as rescued animals but also houses few foxes that needed to be saved. Here you<br />
get an option to sponsor any of these animals for a year. Then you can visit your sponsored<br />
animals few times a year and have a personal visit ! Due to my age , I could not sponsor<br />
and interact with a wolf ,which is my favorite animal. So for my gift for my 9th birthday last<br />
year, I requested my parents to help me sponsor a fox at the sanctuary.<br />
I sponsored a red fox named Scarlette . Due to the pandemic I was unable to visit her in<br />
2020. Finally this summer we decided to drive to Indiana and visit my sponsored fox. It was<br />
such a great experience ! I was allowed to see her from upclose in her enclosure. And as a<br />
bonus I also got to interact with its friend Joker - a gray fox .<br />
I could go in there with the caretaker and she was so knowledgeable and gave so much<br />
information about them. She showed me safe ways to interact with them, feed them, play<br />
with them.<br />
I had such a good time interacting with the wild animals. I also did a tour of the whole<br />
facility and saw some wolves. I will be able to sponsor a wolf and have a personal visit<br />
when I am 18. Wolf Park does a phenomenal job in rescuing and rehabilitating these<br />
animals. You can visit them during the year on various tours and also during fun events<br />
they organize. You can also help by donating food and other items they need for the<br />
animals. We donated gloves and cheese as it was on their list of items they needed.<br />
I came back with such great memories of a fun experience and learnt so much about these<br />
animals and also about animal rehab.
THE MAKING<br />
OF A LEADER<br />
Conversation with<br />
Dr. John Lynch<br />
Any time doing your medical school, residency or<br />
fellowship training did you expect that you will be in the<br />
eye of such a storm and what helped you to take charge<br />
and manage the situation?<br />
The answer to the first part of your question: No. I never<br />
expected to be in something like this, I obviously went to<br />
medical school. I was really interested in infectious diseases<br />
when I went into medical school and really steered me into<br />
Dr. Lynch is a professor at the UW<br />
Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy & Infectious<br />
Diseases and Medical Director of the Harborview<br />
Medical Centers for Infection Prevention & Control,<br />
Employee Health, and antibiotic stewardship.<br />
the work that I do now.<br />
-Mehr Grewal and Ajooni Dhanoa
The Delta<br />
Divide<br />
Invasion of the Mutants<br />
By Sneha Sadhwani and Alessandra Azure<br />
The delta variant has been the cause of<br />
much recent concern, quickly becoming the<br />
predominant strain of the COVID-19 virus<br />
in the United States. The delta variant is one<br />
of four variants of concern in the U.S.<br />
identified by the CDC - the others being<br />
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. These variants are<br />
caused by one or more new mutations<br />
(meaning changes) to the SARS-CoV-2 virus<br />
that causes COVID-19. Mutations can occur<br />
when a virus replicates (copies itself), so the<br />
more widely circulating a virus is in a<br />
population, the more it will replicate and<br />
have opportunities to change in a way that<br />
creates a new variant. In the case of delta,<br />
this variant has found by the CDC to be<br />
“nearly twice as contagious as previous<br />
variants.<br />
”Its properties make it likely to outcompete<br />
other variants, with the CDC estimating the<br />
delta variant to account for more than 80%<br />
of all COVID-19 cases in the U.S.<br />
Additionally, according to Yale Medicine,<br />
“people who have not been fully vaccinated<br />
against COVID-19 are most at risk.”<br />
Washington State Department of Health data<br />
shows that “at least 94% of COVID-19 cases,<br />
deaths, and hospitalizations in individuals<br />
12 years or older from Washington state<br />
occurred in individuals who were not fully<br />
vaccinated.” Similar patterns across the<br />
United States have led officials like Dr.<br />
Rochelle Walensky, the CDC's director, to<br />
call this “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
The majority of people still getting covid or<br />
a variant such as the delta variant are<br />
people that are unvaccinated. The vaccines<br />
are quite effective but sometimes a<br />
breakthrough infection occurs which is<br />
when a vaccinated person gets covid or a<br />
variant. With such cases, health experts say<br />
the vaccines should help lessen the severity<br />
of the illness. Overall getting vaccinated will<br />
protect you either by keeping you safe from<br />
covid or lessening symptoms.<br />
Worth A Shot, one of our community<br />
partners at Youth Aware, and the City of<br />
Bellevue are putting on information sessions<br />
for the community so people can get the<br />
information they need about vaccines, new<br />
variants, guidelines, etc. So far we have held<br />
multiple sessions in which we had health<br />
care providers to answer any questions from<br />
the community as well as guide people<br />
through the process of signing up for a<br />
vaccine. We have more sessions coming up<br />
in August and September so please use the<br />
link below to sign up.<br />
A discussion of the<br />
effects of the variants on the<br />
pandemic, vaccinations, and<br />
school reopening<br />
Friday, August 27th<br />
@ 5-7 PM PST<br />
REGISTER VIA EVENTBRITE:<br />
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/youth-link-<br />
covid-19-delta-variant-info-session-tickets-<br />
167504381113<br />
- Do I need a 3rd booster dose of an mRNA vaccine?<br />
-What types of masks will offer the most protection to my child at<br />
school?<br />
-What steps are schools taking to ensure the safety and health of<br />
all students?<br />
-Do vaccines work against the Delta variant?<br />
-What extra precautions should I take against new variants of<br />
concern?<br />
-Can we expect a rise in respiratory viruses in the fall?
W E W O U L D L O V E T O<br />
H E A R F R O M Y O U !<br />
SUBMIT TO OUR MAGAZINE AT:<br />
https://www.youthawaremagazine.com/submissions<br />
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAGAZINE AT:<br />
https://www.youthawaremagazine.com/subscription