June 30, 2024

By Courtney Wise

Greetings MindSite News Readers. In today’s daily, meet a teen who used the days after Hurricane Ida to create an app that supports youth mental health. In other news, a photo essay spotlights Fourth Tri Sanctuary, a haven for new moms in Metro Detroit. Some tips for parenting while in survival mode. And a high school hosted the world premiere of a mental health film featuring pro skier Drew Petersen this week.

Keep your eyes peeled for an all-access YouTube release this June. As Petersen has written, “There is infinite power in changing our entire culture surrounding mental health. The number of people that have reached out to me and opened up with their own stories continues to amaze me….So for those of you out there who my story resonates with, you are so far from alone. And I promise you there is hope.”

After surviving Hurricane Ida, a Louisiana teen created an app to help other students struggling with mental health

She’s an 11th grader now, but in Fall 2021, Vaishnavi Kumbala was gearing up for high school amid elevated stress levels from pandemic shutdowns and Hurricane Ida. Back then, the Metairie, Louisiana native was often isolated at home while her parents were at work. While waiting for her school to reopen following the storm, Kumbala taught herself how to build a website and focused it on teen mental health. She told the Washington Post that she wanted to do something for her peers, after noticing their struggles with loneliness and other mental health challenges. “A lot of mental health resources out there are geared toward adults or younger kids,” Kumbala said. “I wanted to create something that was by a teen for teens.” From there, Saplings was born. Originally started as a website, it became a free mobile app in 2022.

The app offers basic meditation support, links to calming background music on YouTube, and prompts for guided journaling. As word has spread about the app, Kumbala has formed partnerships with 30 school districts to learn more about students’ mental health needs. After completing at least one activity in the app, youth are encouraged to respond to a survey about their overall feelings and the activity’s impact on their mood and wellbeing. The data is then shared with school leaders to provide them with greater insight on the students they directly serve. 

Since creating Saplings—and winning the 2021 Congressional App Challenge in Louisiana’s First District—Kumbala has become a prominent advocate for teen mental health. She has written multiple articles that have received national attention, including this one on what it’s like to be displaced from your home after a hurricane. Kumbala also works with the Louisiana Center for Health Equity (LCHE) and, as a member of the Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Counsel, she helped draft House Bill 353, which provides youth greater mental health support at school, including the right to take a mental health day when needed. “Having that youth voice and youth representation and participation in the work that we’re doing is important,” said Alma Stewart, president and founder of the LCHE. “There is a lot of merit to having youth leadership.”

A photo essay about new moms from Fourth Tri Sanctuary

Much like documentary photographer Ali Lapetina, as she notes in this photo essay for NPR, I struggled after birthing my child. Postpartum anxiety rocked me. Though I’d had massive support from my mother for the immediate 10 days after my daughter and I arrived home (the most glorious 10 days of my 2018, to be clear), I was completely overwhelmed after she left. In recovery from a C-section, I was uncomfortable, restricted to the main level of my house, and flat-out scared. I worried constantly about my (incredibly healthy) baby. The support of other new and new-ish moms would have been transformative for me, but finding community proved tough. Six years later, some new mothers in Metro Detroit have a place to turn: Fourth Tri Sanctuary.

I emphasize some because Fourth Tri offers membership-based support for moms and infants at its facilities in Ferndale, Michigan. Though inclusivity is spotlighted on their website, costs may be prohibitive for some families. Still, with the three levels of available services— Prepare & Plan, Fourth Trimester, and Mom Only — it’s clear that, unlike most places for moms and infants, mothers truly are the focus of this space. While classes like Baby Play and Baby Bathing are available, so are Mental Health & Body Image, Boundaries, and Summer Insecurities. There’s even an abbreviated spa offering mini-massages and a room where you can take a nap. Best of all, there are trained doulas to hold your baby while you shower! The mood-boosting power of an interrupted shower — in which you can even wash your hair —  cannot be understated for the fourth trimester crowd. Mom-only member Tiffany Yu spoke to the importance of such a space.

“I had three adults, my mother, my father and my grandmother, come take care of me during my postpartum — the level of support is not common in the West. They cooked every meal and sometimes spoon-fed me while I was nursing my baby. That’s the kind of support a mother needs to be able to heal herself and then be there for the baby.

“I think this is going to affect the trajectory of a nation, how well you support the next generation and the current generation. I just hear people my age — I’m a millennial — say ‘Absolutely not. I don’t want kids. How can we afford it? Who’s going to support us? Day care is so expensive. I don’t want to give up my career.’ And these problems are in place because there’s no support. If there was support like that, it would be a non-issue. So for all those reasons, I talk about this place to everybody.

“Women here [in America] need this support. It shouldn’t be a luxury. It really should be the standard of care — women make up over half our population.” (You can see the photo essay here.)

In other news…

Parents, are you feeling constantly stressed out? Easily triggered just about all the time? Not taking care of your basic needs?  Resentful much?  You may be parenting in survival mode, according to a new article in Your Tango. Don’t keep these feelings to yourself, the author advises – the more you share them and seek help, the sooner you’ll get back on track.

The documentary film Feel It All had its world premiere last night in Colorado with a second screening slated for May 31. The 90-minute film follows professional skier Drew Petersen through his battle with suicidal depression to finding purpose, strength, and inner power by setting a goal to run the Leadville Trail 100 ultramarathon. Throughout his training process, Petersen allows viewers to witness him reach the depths of his resilience, in the hopes that his story will help to shift the conversation around mental illness and suicide prevention. Visit the film’s website to learn about screenings in your area.

Maryland lawmakers pass law requiring universities to allow mental health withdrawals. In an effort to allow students to care for their mental health and retain access to their selected institution of higher learning, the Cameron Carden Act of 2024 was passed earlier this year, requiring each of Maryland public universities to institute formal withdrawal policies that include mental health as a valid reason to step out. Students who use the benefit by mid-semester will also receive a refund for the remainder of the term. Experts told Inside Higher Ed that the law may be the first of its kind.

Expert advice for co-parenting with a narcissist: Earlier this year, psychologist Ramani Durvasula published It’s Not You: Identifying and Healing from Narcissistic People. I’ve been reading the book with a friend, and though I don’t think I’m dealing with any narcissists right now, it has sure helped to explain a lot about past interactions I’ve had with people I don’t see much anymore. But the reality is most of us are dealing with narcissists fairly regularly and could use the guidance on how to navigate such relationships. Here, in this hour-long video, Durvasula offers clear, easy-to-follow instructions on how to approach co-parenting with a narcissist so that your children are most supported and least harmed. 

Embrace a dating experience in friendship. If you’re interested in building new friendships and feel overwhelmed at the thought of the work required to cement adult relationships, therapist and social worker Nedra Glover Tawwab offers some tips for getting out of your head and in connection. Being open to exploring what a relationship with one another could entail through friend dates, much as you would with a romantic interest, is my favorite piece of advice. If done with an open mind, it invites the other five tips Tawwab offers to flow with ease. 

If you or someone you know is in crisis or experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and connect in English or Spanish. If you’re a veteran press 1. If you’re deaf or hard of hearing dial 711, then 988. Services are free and available 24/7.