What You Need To Know: CDPH has launched Take Space to Pause, a statewide campaign made for teens and by teens that will focus on reducing self-stigma around youth mental health challenges and promoting positive, help-seeking actions.
Los Angeles, CA – This week, the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Health Equity (OHE) launched the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative’s (CYBHI) new campaign Take Space to Pause. The campaign is addressing the youth mental health crisis by tackling self-stigma around mental health and promoting help-seeking actions amongst teens across California.
Why This Matters: Data shows that rates of mental health challenges in teens are increasing at an alarming rate, disproportionately affecting populations including Black and African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Latinos, Native Americans, and LGBTQ – making equitable access to mental health resources a critical health priority for Californians.
“Doctors, teachers, caregivers, and teens across the state have been sounding the alarm and sending the message that we cannot afford to wait for action on youth mental health,” says CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón. “The Take Space to Pause campaign employs research-backed approaches that will give teens the foundational knowledge, tools, and critical resources they need to address their mental health concerns now and in the future.”
What California is Doing: Take Space to Pause brings a new lens to addressing the state’s youth mental health crisis, with an intentional emphasis on “breaking points” – or the moments when stress becomes overwhelming for teens – as a way to identify the best coping mechanism. Teens who are experiencing mental health challenges will have access to a new tool that helps them design a customized “plan to pause,” which will encourage teens to adopt healthy behaviors that help them get ahead of their breaking points. The campaign, along with all accompanying tools and resources, was intentionally designed by thousands of teens across California to establish authenticity, while also incorporating subject matter experts to ensure a research-backed approach.
The campaign formally launched today in Los Angeles at a youth-focused “self-care fair” with a teen-led panel discussion on mental health. Youth speakers were joined by CDPH experts, including Dr. Aragón, CYBHI Director Dr. Sohil Sud, CDPH Assistant Deputy Director of OHE Ana Bolaños, and influencers. Youth led a conversation about the importance of destigmatizing mental health challenges and how the campaign can help normalize asking for help when they’re struggling, and attendees participated in self-care activities that promoted calming behaviors.
“Research has shown us that teens don’t have stigma around other people’s mental health, but they have self-stigma around their own challenges – leading to feelings of guilt and shame,” says CDPH Assistant Deputy Director of OHE, Ana Bolaños. “Through ‘Take Space to Pause,’ we’re helping teens understand that their mental health shouldn’t cause stress and that they have a community of people and resources that are available to help them.”
The campaign also provides technical assistance for 28 local-level grantees and Tribal organizations across the state of California, with a particular focus on underserved communities in rural and urban areas. In partnership with the campaign, these community organizations will receive toolkits with campaign assets that they can tailor to their audiences using updated verbiage or language.
“Teens across the state are disproportionately impacted by mental health challenges, but they’re often unsure of the resources and supports that are designed and available to help them,” said Dr. Sohil Sud, Director of the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative. “This is the first step in a multi-year campaign that will speak directly to youth, in their communities, so they can get the help they need to address their mental health.”
The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a key component of California’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health—a groundbreaking investment that adopts a “whole child” approach to support the mental health and overall well-being of children and youth. This initiative addresses the full spectrum of factors that influence young people’s mental health, aiming to create a healthier, more supportive environment for California’s youth. Youth and families across California are encouraged to engage with the campaign and create their own “plan to pause” by visiting TakeSpaceToPause.org, available in English and Spanish.
For more information about the campaign, follow @TakeSpacetoPause on TikTok, Instagram, and Youtube.
