Toward a New Understanding of Today’s Teens and Their Mental Wellbeing
This webinar is designed for a broad audience of adults who are invested in the wellbeing of adolescents, particularly in the context of the current mental wellness challenges facing young people.
Despite having more counselors, educators, experts, and medications in the US than ever before, today’s American adolescents are said to be suffering from a mental health epidemic. News headlines are full of theories about what’s gone wrong, though few of the experts have asked the teens themselves.
Dr. Will Dobud, co-author of Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health, set out to change that. Together with Nevin Harper and a team of leading voices in adolescent wellbeing, Dr. Dobud explored the complex reality that young people in developed countries live in today. They distilled the last 20 years of research and practice to examine both the causes and solutions for the adolescent mental health crisis.
What Dobud and his colleagues discovered challenges much of what we assume. Rather than focusing solely on diagnoses and treatment plans, they highlight the importance of strong social connections, opportunities for growth, gratitude, and independence. These are the building blocks of resilience—the qualities young people need to grow into healthy, capable adults.
In this webinar, Dr. Dobud recounts the lessons learned in producing this book, inviting us to reconsider what we think we know about teens and mental health. He makes a compelling case: our kids face many challenges, but the way adults respond to them needs to change. Whether you’re a parent, educator, counselor, or simply someone who cares about teens, this webinar offers new perspectives and a pathway to practical strategies for supporting young people as they navigate today’s challenges.
Who's Presenting
Will Dobud, PhD, MSW(AP), BSW
Dr. Will Dobud is a social worker, researcher, and educator who has worked with adolescents and families in the United States, Australia, and Norway.
Will is an award-winning researcher and educator recognized for excellence in research, teaching, and crime prevention. Dr. Dobud is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University, Australia’s largest social work school. Will is an invited international speaker who conducts workshops for therapists and families around the globe.
Will’s research focuses on improving adolescent therapy outcomes and promoting safe, ethical practices. He has investigated and written about America’s Troubled Teen Industry, especially wilderness therapy. He has worked alongside advocates, survivors, researchers, and clinicians to protect youth from institutionalization and harm.
Will is the co-author of Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health (2025). He is also the co-editor of Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction to Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives (2020) and co-author of Solution-Focused Practice in Outdoor Therapy: Co-Adventuring for Change (2022).