On June 12, 2024, the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable welcomed youth advocates from the Youth Coalition (YOCO), a group founded by Dr. Tamika Zapolski at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2023. YOCO aims to engage diverse youth in shaping mental health research and interventions, emphasizing their unique perspectives.

Four YOCO members took the stage during the lunch plenary session, receiving a standing ovation for their impactful presentation on teen mental health. This recognition highlights their growing influence and commitment to advocating for youth mental well-being.

YOCO members collaborate with researchers, develop leadership skills, and initiate community projects, demonstrating a proactive approach to addressing mental health issues. Their participation underscores the importance of youth voices in shaping effective mental health solutions.

The event showcased YOCO’s dedication to empowering young leaders and fostering inclusive mental health practices. With their contributions, YOCO continues to drive positive change and inspire future generations in mental health advocacy.

To learn more about YOCO, visit our website at www.iusmyoco.com.

Dr. Tamika Zapolski, Na'Querra Potts, Jo’Kia Archer, Ashwak Kalil, Ismat Rajput on stage at the Indiana Mental Health Roundtable 2024 (pictured right to left)

PRISM lab members Kennedy Pope and Devin Whitt presented posters in Chicago at the Midwestern Psychological Association in April 2024.

In March, Dr. Tamika Zapolski and MacKenzie Whitener presented posters in Baltimore, MD at SAMHSA’s Joint Meeting on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery.

The first was titled, “Elevating Youth Voice Through the Creation of a Youth Coalition,” which was about the creation of the research study YOCO.

The other poster, presented by MacKenzie Whitener, was titled, “Examining Student Perspectives on a School-Based Intervention for Substance Use and Health Behaviors,” and was related to the research study Going 4 Goals.

Two of our PRISM lab members, Ian Carson and Devin Whitt, presented research posters at the 2022 College on Problems of Drug Dependence Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Ian’s poster can be viewed here and was titled LGBQ Microaggressions and Substance Use Among University Students: The Moderating Role of Mindfulness.

Devin’s poster can be viewed here (soon) and was titled Exploring the Role of Female Gender Discrimination on Problematic Cannabis Use With Race as Moderator.

Shirin Khazvand had the wonderful opportunity to present her poster entitled Racial Discrimination and Alcohol Use: The Moderating Role of Emotion Regulation at the 2022 Research Society on Alcoholism Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida. Great job, Shirin!