Darien Youth Depot partners with NAMI for parental support group
DARIEN — This month, the Darien Youth Depot is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness to open a new support group for parents concerned about their children’s mental health.
Beginning Oct. 13, the Depot will begin holding free monthly sessions for parents to talk about their concerns and share their own experiences under the guidance of one of NAMI’s trained facilitators.
“As we fully emerge from the pandemic, it’s really no secret that grown-ups meant to guide and lead children during these difficult times are really struggling themselves,” Depot Executive Director Laura Downing said. “We have been such a trusted place in the community for our kids for over three decades, and we’re just really happy and pleased that we can provide this service and that we can be here to support the kids and our parents.”
Over the course of the pandemic, depression and anxiety rates nearly doubled in adolescents younger than 18 years old. Data show an estimated one in four children globally reported clinically elevated symptoms of depression and one in five experienced elevated anxiety.
“They’re anxious about school, they’re anxious about the pandemic, they’re anxious about climate change,” said Evan Pagano, one of the NAMI co-facilitators for the group. “A lot of the kids these days get overwhelmed just by the general situation in the country.”
Part of the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, NAMI’s Southwest Connecticut branch offers free support groups to adolescents and their family members across Fairfield County.
As a facilitator, Pagano’s job is not to give advice, but to guide the conversation between those in attendance. The rest, she said, will happen organically because “people naturally help each other.”
“There still is a lot of stigma, especially in a super high-functioning town like the towns in Fairfield County,” Pagano said. “A lot of people can’t talk to their own friends and family honestly about what’s happening with their child without feeling some amount of stigma. So it gives parents an opportunity to talk about their kids and their struggles with other people who have the same lived experience.”
She said the group is an open space for parents to express any concerns from school performance to mood swings or to determine whether an issue stems from a deeper health issue or just natural teenage hormones.
Parents can also share specific resources they have used, recommending doctors or treatment options, she said.
Beyond specific care strategies, the group is intended to serve as a reminder to parents that they are not alone in dealing with these situations, she said.
“When you realize you’re not alone in tackling these issues, and that other people have similar experiences and are facing similar issues, it’s not comfort, but it’s a massive relief as a parent,” Downing said. “You begin to take control back and the situation doesn’t seem so overwhelming. You can actually do things to help your family and help yourself and help your kid.”
Sessions will run every second Thursday between 10:30 a.m. and noon to avoid any overlap with students who visit the Depot.
“We have to be very careful about that,” Downing said. “It’s their place. Not home, not school, it’s their place. And we don’t want them to feel like they’re being encroached on by parents.”
The group will start out limited to around seven to 10 parents, but Downing said the Depot is capable of expanding if there is a higher demand.
The Depot also announced the formation of its Mental Health Advisory Committee, bringing together Depot staff and local mental health experts to incorporate best practice mental health strategies throughout the organization.