Health Update: Jackson Youth Health Symposium Empowers Students to Improve Wellness – What Experts Say

United Way of the Capital Area held its fourth annual Youth Health Symposium this week at the Jackson Convention Complex. High schools from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties were invited to participate in the event.

The event, themed “Healthchella,” focused on teaching high school students from the metro area about health disparities in Mississippi and how they can address them.

Students and health professionals gathered in multiple rooms to share resources and information on topics including mental health, HIV awareness, drug and opioid use, nutrition and fitness.

Malaysia O’Banner, a junior at Jim Hill High School, said mental health is an important part of everyday life for people of all ages. 

“I feel like us being young, a lot of people feel like we don’t experience things until we get older,” O’Banner said. “Everybody should know that age doesn’t mean you don’t go through things. Everybody can go through something.”

Nearly 35,000 youth in Mississippi have severe and persistent mental health needs, according to the Mississippi Department of Mental Health.

Quinton Hollinshed, also a junior at Jim Hill and a returning attendee, said ignoring mental health issues contributes to the problem. 

“Black communities don’t really believe in mental health a lot,” Hollinshed said. “They just push it under the rug and act like it does not exist. And therefore, they put that onto their kids, which causes everything to deplete.”

The symposium featured vendors such as G.A. Carmichael Family Health Center. Orlandrious Bloodsaw, the center’s community outreach director, led a breakout session on preventing sexually transmitted infections.

“I think everybody should know that STIs and infections are diseases that need to be stopped  and they can be stopped,” Bloodsaw said. “We just have to have the resources, and it starts at an early age. This is one of the reasons why I’m excited to be here today.”

Keedrick Palmer, health and wellness coordinator for United Way of the Capital Area, said the goal is to instill healthy habits early. “We really want the students to understand that health is wealth,” Palmer said. “We want to put that in their mind and focus at an early age, even earlier than high school sophomores and juniors. So really educating them on how to take care of their bodies and live a healthy lifestyle because health is wealth.”