Maine Resilience Building Network - MRBN Mattering Reports

Youth Mattering Reports

Maine Resilience Building Network produced a series of reports to share data, provide context, and update progress on Cultivating Mattering for Maine Youth.

Click on the report image to read or download the document.

Compelling data recently released by the Maine CDC presents a concerning picture of our youth’s mental health and well-being. The 2021 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey (MIYHS) data indicates that Maine youth’s mental health issues have become more severe over the past two years. But even before the disconnect caused by the COVID pandemic, young Mainers were showing increasing mental health issues.

From January-March 2021, MRBN hosted Community Conversations in Maine's nine Public Health Districts. Nearly 500 people participated, sharing Youth Mattering ideas, concerns, and success stories from communities throughout Maine. Two overarching themes emerged: Safe Spaces & Small Acts. This report shares observations from participants and offers recommendations for next steps.

MRBN convened Thought Leader Roundtables on Cultivating Mattering for Maine Youth on December 3 and 9, 2020. The Thought Leaders included state government leaders, educators and educational administrators, business leaders, representatives of philanthropic organizations, health providers, advocates for priority populations, and subject matter experts. This report summarizes those conversations and offers recommendations for next steps.

In 2020, MRBN launched Cultivating Mattering for Maine Youth with the release of this white paper, which calls attention to the mounting evidence that a lack of social connectedness is contributing to an epidemic of diseases of despair among young people.