Retreat Hosts Youth Mental Health Crisis Panel

PALM BEACH, FL– Among young people between the ages 10 through 24, suicide is now the third most prevalent cause of death- with the majority of these cases stemming from underlying mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. With those staggering statistics in mind, Retreat Behavioral Health brought together a panel of experts to address this mental health crisis. On Wednesday, July 24th, more than 400 people attended an informative discussion aimed at fighting the stigma surrounding mental health and learning how to equip young people with the tools they need to improve their well-being.

This discussion featured a panel of experts that included Cameron Kasky, Parkland shooting survivor and co-founder of March for Our Lives, Linda Mills, Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice Provost for University Life at New York University, Sharon L'Herrou, President and CEO of 211 Palm Beach, and Peter Schorr, Founder and CEO of Retreat Behavioral Health.

"In our overly wired world, with 24/7 social media and the hyper-connectivity that our youth confront every day, our children feel more isolated than ever before," said Peter Schorr, Retreat's Founder & CEO. "It's vital that we raise a generation that knows that they aren't alone, and help is out there."

The event was moderated by Reed Alexander of Retreat Behavioral Health. A longtime advocate for the health and well-being of young Americans, Reed continues to be recognized for his co-starring role in the Emmy-nominated hit Nickelodeon sitcom "iCarly."

The goal of the gathering was to find public sector solutions to a private sector problem affecting the next generation. Topics of discussion included depression, anxiety, suicide prevention, the impact of social media, LGBTQ+ and minority struggles.