The 2nd annual Youth Mental Health Symposium will take place on February 23, 2019 at the Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort. The symposium, organized by the Alex Panton Foundation, will explore the current state of mental health in the Cayman Islands and provide recommendations on future improvements under the theme ‘Addressing Our Past, Supporting Our Future.’

The Alex Panton Foundation has collaborated with the National Drug Council for their 2018 biennial survey ‘Cayman Islands Student Drug Use’ (CISDU). The results from the survey, which also focuses on youth mental health issues, will be revealed in the opening key note presentation and will form discussion points on a series of topics surrounding risk factors of mental health throughout the symposium.

Speaking on the 2^nd annual Youth Mental Health Symposium, Jane Panton, Chairperson of the Alex Panton Foundation, said;

“After the tremendous turnout for our inaugural Youth Mental Health Symposium and other events in 2018, we know youth mental health is something that the local community is very passionate about addressing. Hosting this symposium each year will help continue this important conversation in our community.”

Speaking on their recent collaboration with the National Drug Council for this year’s symposium, Jane Panton went on to say;

“Last year we announced that we would be collaborating with the National Drug Council on their 2018 survey in order to collect the first nationally representative data on how children and young adults, on our islands, are coping with mental health issues as well as what they know about the resources available to them.

 “We are thrilled to be able to share the results of this survey with the general public and to discuss both where we are currently and the next steps we need to take, as medical professionals, parents, carers and a community, in order to improve the services available for those struggling with mental health issues,”

The symposium aims to explore mental health from a diverse point of view, while ensuring that children and young adults dealing with mental health issues are at the heart of the conversation.

For more details and to register for the 2^nd annual Youth Mental Health Symposium head over to alexpantonfoundation.ky.