Poetry, creative writing and just listening can combat teen mental health risks

By Suma Karaman Rosen for The Detroit Free Press

They’re experiencing heartache, depression and anxiety. Sometimes they’re falling in love, but often it’s unrequited, or they’re navigating a bad break-up. They care about the environment, they fight for social justice, and they don’t care what your personal pronoun is — as long as you respect theirs.

Most often, they just want people — especially adults — to listen to them.

This is what I learned from the students performing their original poetry at the Detroit Youth Poetry Slam hosted by InsideOut Literary Arts. Fifteen brave teens competed to be one of the top five prize-winning finalists, and over 100 audience members cheered them on.

I’m no stranger to youth poetry performances. As executive director of InsideOut Literary Arts, I’ve been to countless open mics, creative writing workshops and public performances. I’ve been moved to tears more times than I can count, and I’ve been pulled to many a standing ovation with whoops and hollers that would rival any sporting event. There is always something deeply powerful about what young people have to say — their voices are raw and real and courageous.

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