New Podcast Tackles Youth Mental Health, Promotes Creativity as a Resilience Tool

Trauma and adverse childhood events are pervasive in America, with three out of four high school kids reporting at least one event and one in five reporting more than four. These experiences can have sweeping effects on long-term health: both at the individual and population level. A new podcast out of the Rollins School of Public Health dives into the topic of trauma, resilience, and art as a form of healing.

Creative Resilience is hosted by Briana Woods-Jaeger, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor of behavioral, social, and health education sciences at Rollins. The recently-launched show brings together thought leaders, clinical psychologists, public health professionals, and creatives to talk in-depth about opportunities for lifting up America’s youth and families, fostering healing, and building resilience.

Episode topics in the first season include:

• How culturally responsive community programming can help support healing and resilience after childhood trauma
• Expanding access to trauma-informed care
• Theater, film, and photography as creative practices that can promote resilience 
• The power of relationships to promote healing
• And more

“This is a podcast for anyone interested in learning more about recent research on trauma and healing from leading experts, as well as the ways people throughout the country and globally are engaging in creative practice and community collaboration to encourage healing and resilience,” says Woods-Jaeger.

This could include therapists, social workers, artists, teachers, and academics working in the mental health or community arts spaces, but also youth, parents and those in the general public concerned about youth mental health or seeking ways to make their own communities healthier.

Adverse childhood experiences can have long-term health consequences that can predispose a person to developing depression, risky sexual behaviors, heart disease, cancer, toxic stress, and more. In addition, the lingering effects of trauma can contribute to attachment difficulties, social withdrawal, and isolation, fueling what experts now call a growing loneliness epidemic.  

“As we continue to grapple with the youth mental health crisis and loneliness epidemic, we want to highlight the creative actions we can take to promote healing and resilience and the power of relationships and collaboration in advancing health and well-being in our communities,” says Woods-Jaeger.

Episodes from Season 1 of the podcast are live now and are accessible on all major podcasting platforms.