Parents and caregivers will soon have an opportunity to learn practical strategies to support adolescent mental health and strengthen emotional resilience, factors that research suggests can significantly reduce the risk of serious mental health challenges among teenagers.
Guided by the theme ‘Lighting the Way: Turning Hope into Action’, the Alex Panton Foundation’s 9th Annual Youth Mental Health Symposium which takes place at Hotel Indigo on 21 Feb. will equip parents, educators, healthcare professionals, youth workers and community members with evidence-informed tools they can apply in real-world settings.
The focus on adult support reflects growing evidence that parental and family involvement plays a critical role in adolescent mental health. A 2025 study published in the journal Alpha Psychiatry found that adolescents who perceive higher levels of parental involvement face a lower risk of depression.
Other research shows that adult support, particularly from family, is a key protective factor against anxiety and depression, with young people who report strong social support having 22% to 47% lower odds of experiencing severe mental health challenges a year later.
Richard Weissbourd, faculty director of the ‘Making Caring Common Project’ at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has emphasised that young people do not develop in isolation but within families and communities, making those environments central to understanding the pressures teenagers face.
Research published in the journal Mental Health and Prevention reinforces this view, identifying adolescence as a critical window for prevention in which positive social connections can play a significant role in supporting mental wellbeing.
Against this backdrop, the symposium will bring together clinicians, educators, community leaders and youth mental health advocates for a programme that combines presentations, panel discussions and interactive sessions focused on practical, evidence-based approaches.
One of this year’s featured speakers, Miles Ruby, parent practitioner at the Family Resource Centre, will lead a session focused on resilience and emotional development.
Ruby has said resilience is not about shielding children from challenges or suppressing emotions, but about helping them learn how to manage difficult feelings and navigate adversity in healthy ways.
“In order to overcome adversity, we need to be able to bounce back … and learn to handle difficult emotions,” she said during a recent segment on Daybreak.
Her session will share realistic, everyday strategies parents, guardians and caregivers can use to support emotional growth at home and in daily interactions.
The symposium will also feature remarks from Jane Panton, chairperson and co-founder of the Alex Panton Foundation, who will share her son Alex’s story, reflect on the foundation’s origins and speak to the mission that continues to guide its work.
“As the Symposium enters its ninth year, we remain committed to creating a space that encourages learning, reflection and action,” she said. “This year’s theme reflects our belief that informed and compassionate adult support can make a real difference in the lives of our young people.”
Welcome remarks will be delivered by Governor Jane Owen and Minister of Health, Environment and Sustainability Katherine Ebanks-Wilks. Lizzette Yearwood, alternate deputy chairperson and director of the Alex Panton Foundation, will deliver welcome remarks and serve as master of ceremonies.
The event builds on the momentum of the 8th Annual Youth Mental Health Symposium, held in February 2025, which brought together more than 400 attendees for discussions on youth substance use trends, early intervention and community-based youth support programmes.
The full agenda, session topics and speaker lineup will be released at AlexPantonFoundation.ky and on the organisation’s social media. The symposium is free to attend, though registration is required as space is limited.
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