What is International Youth Day?

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Each year on August 12, International Youth Day is commemorated by the UN. Themes are selected by the Focal Point on Youth in collaboration with diverse youth organizations.

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The International Youth Day programme encourages young people around the world to organize activities that raise awareness about current situations or challenges of youth in their areas. This day is dedicated to the vital role that youth play in achieving change and tackling important global issues.

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How is International Youth Day celebrated?

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2022’s theme for International Youth Day is Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages. Drawing from this year’s theme, one of the best ways to celebrate this day is through education and conversation with those of all ages. Young people have voices, concerns, and solutions that can achieve great change if and when amplified.

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This is a day for younger generations who are coming into their own, to come together and bring awareness to the various complex issues that exist for their age group internationally. In order to truly create a world for all ages, being able to listen to often overlooked groups is crucial.

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What are some of the most pressing issues for youth right now?

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Right now, 1 in 7 youth between the ages of 10 - 19 experience a mental disorder. Anxiety, depression and behavioural disorders are leading causes that continue to socially, emotionally, psychologically or even physically debilitate young people across the globe.

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In Canada, self-perceived mental health plummeted the most for the 15 - 24 youth age group as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2018, 62% of the youth category reported having excellent or very good mental health, which dropped to 42% of that same group in 2020- the most drastic decline of all age groups. The need is urgent, then, for accessible mental health resources to guide young Canadians, and youth around the world during this sensitive and transformative time in their developing years.

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Youth and adolescence is a formative period full of many firsts - a first best friend, first bicycle, first crush, first day of school, and so many more. Unfortunately, it can also come with moments of experiencing the first symptoms of mental health disorders which can be confusing, frustrating and perhaps isolating for not only youth, but also their families and loved ones. Rising awareness and acceptance of mental health in recent years is certainly contributing to reducing the stigma around mental health disorders, but young people still need all the support available in a timely manner, ideally to prevent the negative symptoms of poor mental health following these growing individuals into adulthood.

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How does LUCID support youth and International Youth Day?

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Our latest partnership is with MYNDRR (Mentoring Nurturement for Dynamic Youth Resilience and Restoration), an application that offers teletherapy and a social network platform that brings together mentors, psychologists, therapists, parents, social workers, and more to foster success results for youth during their formative years.This partnership will incorporate LUCID’s music therapy into MINDYRR’s teletherapy platform for at-promise youth and child welfare professionals.

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This International Youth Day and beyond, LUCID is committed to taking urgent action in the mental health crisis that youth are experiencing. Our personalized, curated digital music therapy system provides and promotes accessibility, which can be one of the most challenging factors preventing struggling young people from receiving the proper specialized care they require.

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RELATED: The kids are alright. LUCID and MNDYRR partner to bring music therapy to youth

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How does LUCID’s Medicinal Music support mental health?

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At LUCID, we believe that our music is medicine. Music and mental health are closely linked, especially when music is used intentionally to target specific moods for mental health. Music has a vast range of benefits that the LUCID team is dedicated to leveraging for better mental health outcomes. Through our research and technology, the power of music is being further unlocked every day at LUCID. Using AI and machine learning, along with our patent pending Affective Music Recommendation System, we distinguish which musical features are more likely to yield each individual outcome for wellbeing and are able to deliver personalized playlists containing music that listens to each user.

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Our latest clinical trial on the effects of music and Auditory Beat Stimulation on anxiety showed a more significant reduction in somatic and cognitive anxiety in comparison to pink noise, auditory beat stimulation, or generic relaxation playlists found on major streaming platforms. Youth looking for calming music or music for anxiety relief may just find a curated LUCID session more effective than looping a generic calm playlist on a streaming platform.

‍RELATED: Music Therapy in Stranger Things