Dear CalMatters reader,

In 2021 and 2025, organizations like the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry declared a national emergency for children’s mental health in America, amid rising mental health-related hospital visits and suicide attempts. According to this recent study, members of Gen Z are also 80% more like­ly to report deal­ing with anx­i­ety or depres­sion com­pared to previous gen­er­a­tions.

In response to these realities, Oakland-based youth media organization YouthBeat and CatchLight launched a visual storytelling workshop inviting teens to reflect on mental health, caregiving, and emotional support. Guided by visual journalists from CatchLight and KQED, students created photo essays documenting the parents, siblings, teachers, friends, and loved ones whose often unseen labor helps sustain their wellbeing.

Recently featured by KQED, this month’s California in Pictures showcases work by Evelyn Sanchez De Leon, Adonis Paul Anthony, Zay Austin, Nhien Tang, Diego Sanchez Morfin, and Korey Gibson. Collectively, their photographs document who they turn to for strength and support amid today’s youth mental health crisis.

Sincerely,