A Youth Mental Health Crisis? Kids These Days, the Exhausted Middle, and the Divided World
Virtual , AustraliaPresenters: Will Dobud, PhD (Charles Sturt University) and Nevin Harper, PhD (University of Victoria, Canada) Abstract: Amid rising concerns about a so-called youth mental health crisis, this presentation challenges simplified narratives and explores the deeper social, cultural, and relational dynamics impacting the well-being of youth. We’ll explore how systemic pressures create a divided world for young people to navigate. From labeling and overprotection to social media saturation and adult interference. Will and Nevin discuss the "exhausted middle" concept: parents, therapists, educators, and adults caught between institutional demands and the urgent needs of youth. Rather than pathologising kids, this talk invites a compassionate response that sees youth mental health not as an individual failure but a collective responsibility. About the Presenters Will Dobud, PhD, MSW has over 20 years of therapeutic experience working with youth and families from diverse backgrounds across the US, Australia, and Norway. Will is currently a Senior Lecturer of Social Work with Charles Sturt University and a friend of the Outdoor Therapy Centre for Research and Practice. He has developed innovative programs that integrate psychotherapy and the outdoors to improve teenagers' experience when seeking mental health treatment. A dedicated, award-winning researcher and senior social work lecturer, Will explores ways […]