First Time Blogger

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives.


As I’ve already mentioned in the title, this is my first time blogging. I have never shared my experiences in a format quite like this, so this should interesting. I feel as if I have so many stories to share and so much to say, but nobody has time to read all of that in one sitting. So… I’ll try not to ramble on for too long. Part of me hopes lots of people read this and part of me hopes nobody does. It can be really difficult putting yourself out there, but hey too late now. Continue reading First Time Blogger

How Mental Health Affects Second-Generation Adolescents

The demographics in the United States have shifted significantly. The Pew Research Center reported that there were 44.4 million immigrants living in the country in 2017, making up 13.6% of the total population. The increase in the immigrant population in the United States also means an increase in second-generation Americans – those who are born in the United States to immigrant parents (some people may also refer to these people as first-generation Americans, however).  The number of second-generation immigrants was nearly as much back in 2013 at 36 million, making up 12% of the population. Continue reading How Mental Health Affects Second-Generation Adolescents

Asian American Mental Health Resources

May is both Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI for short). The more you think about it, the more the two sharing a month kind of makes sense: Asian American teen girls have the highest rates of depressive symptoms of any ethnic and gender group, Southeast Asian Americans experience high stress due to the threat of deportations, and Asian adolescents who face racial discrimination are more likely to experience depressive symptoms. Continue reading Asian American Mental Health Resources

#tbt: How Did Teens Use Social Media in 2007?

While the lasting power of things on the Internet is permanent, the significance and popularity of some things are fickle. Even if Facebook is still up and running, notes and middle school photos buried somewhere deep down your feed, you probably don’t use it anymore – what was once one of the most popular website for teens is now only used by 51% of them, with only 10% saying they use it the most often. MySpace is pretty much nonexistent (as well as all the music on the website – one of the main features of the social network, and Tumblr has had a significant decline in users in recent years. Continue reading #tbt: How Did Teens Use Social Media in 2007?

Providing Mental Health Services

More than 1 in 7 kids in the US between the ages of 6 and 18 (7.7 million children, to be exact) have a mental health disorder as of 2016, and nearly half of them are not getting treatment. Mental health issues, if not addressed while still young, can result in detrimental physical, social, and worsening mental health consequences, and difficulties transitioning into adulthood.

Unfortunately, this is not something new. Continue reading Providing Mental Health Services

A Great Opportunity to Talk

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives.


As someone who has suffered from depression and anxiety for all of my life, I know how difficult it can be to talk about your problems without there being a stigma surrounding it. And, I know in high school, it’s super difficult to balance school work and social life and other responsibilities when also having to carry these problems with you. So, I want to do something about it.

Continue reading A Great Opportunity to Talk

What do Adolescents Think about Their Mental Health?

As rates in adolescent mental illnesses have risen, the question also arises: are teens and young adults aware of this situation? These are the youths being diagnosed and showing symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety, but do they think it’s something that only affects them as individuals, or are they noticing these patterns with their peers? What do adolescents consider to be the main problems with their age group?   Continue reading What do Adolescents Think about Their Mental Health?

How to Reduce Stigma in the Workplace

The SOVA Project is happy to feature this blog post written by one in our team of fantastic SOVA Ambassadors—these are young people who help create meaningful blog posts from adolescents’ perspectives.


1 in 4 people aged 18 and older will experience a mental health concern per year. This statistic wavers above and below this number, but the message is the same; if you don’t have a mental illness, you almost definitely know somebody who does.

Continue reading How to Reduce Stigma in the Workplace

Organizations for Mental Health and Youth Around the World

Everyone’s experience with mental health and how they handle it are different. This is especially true on a global scale: no two countries provide the exact same treatment and share the exact same stigmas and beliefs about mental health.

Continue reading Organizations for Mental Health and Youth Around the World