A Conversation About Youth Mental Health: Dr. Liu, Dr. He, and the AACS Team

On November 31st, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the AACS Mental Health team, SLEO, and 16 parents hosted a meaningful discussion of children’s mental health. Outside, huge snowflakes blanketed the ground, but the atmosphere inside the newly-renovated Clark Family Branch Library was warm.

Lasting nearly two hours, the event was hosted by Dr. Min Liu, a professor of health communication at SIUE, and Dr. Shawn He, a second-year pediatrics resident at St Louis Children’s Hospital, who was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to talk with us. A graduate of Parkway Central High School, Dr. He has an interest in raising awareness for pediatric mental health. Dr. He's professional insights were invaluable to the discussion.

Three AACS Mental Health Team members were present at the event: Manaswini Gunturu (junior, Marquette High School), Jenna Song (junior, Ladue High School), and Emily Yang (college freshman), who has been involved in AACS’ mental health education for many years. The youth representatives used their own life experiences as a starting point to engage in down-to-earth dialogues including parent-child relationships, academic pressures, racism, and social stigma against mental health.

Many parents were eager to share their experiences and ask questions, creating an atmosphere of mutual support and learning. It was heartening to see many parents discovering that their journeys and challenges were shared by others. These open conversations fostered a supportive environment where parents could exchange strategies and offer advice on supporting their children.

"Parents' love for their children is common, but each child's growth experience is different,” Dr. Liu said after the meeting. “Every communication with parents is very encouraging, and it also makes us more convinced of the importance of promoting mental health education." She said that listening circles for young people are being planned for the future.

Joy, a parent representative of SLEO, also shared her own insights. She recalled that when she participated in the AACS mental health first aid training in 2023, she reconciled her misunderstanding of mental health. "As first-generation immigrants, cultural differences make our communication with children challenging. Learning to listen, to set aside social pressures, and understand the benefits of mental health treatment is difficult but worth it."

Parents hope that AACS and SLEO can continue to hold similar events to benefit more families. Through such listening sessions, the Asian-American community’s awareness of mental health has increased, and a bridge has been built between parents and children.

Author: Bryan Yang, Emily Yang

Editor: Roy Zhu