Flourishing in Adolescence

Adolescence is a dynamic time for both brain development and social pressures, making it a critical period to understand mental, emotional, and behavioral health, yet it is often overlooked in terms of policies and service interventions, which makes many young people feel unheard when communicating their own challenges.To explore best practices in providing and supporting adolescent health services and key messaging and communication strategies related to the mental, emotional, and behavioral health of adolescents, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Forum for Children's Well-Being held a workshop on May 5, 2020. The workshop featured a panel of youth representatives who shared their own experiences related to mental, emotional, and behavioral health. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.Table of ContentsFront Matter1 Introduction2 Implications for the National Agenda on Fostering the Healthy Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Development of Youth3 Including Youth and Family Voices as a Means to Help Adolescents Flourish4 Implementing Best Practices and Crafting Effective Messaging to Help Adolescents Flourish5 SummaryReferencesAppendix A: Workshop AgendaAppendix B: Biographical Sketches of Workshop Presenters and Planning Committee MembersAppendix C: Resources Mentioned by Speakers and Participants Throughout the WorkshopAppendix D: Recommendations from "The Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth"Appendix E: Recommendations from "Promoting Positive Adolescent Health Behaviors and Outcomes"