There is a quiet epidemic sweeping through young people across the nation. By many markers, the mental health for adolescents and young adults is poor and getting worse. Mental health is a problem for many Americans, but we are focusing on the wellbeing of young people, particularly men. What can be done to help them lead happy, healthy lives in society?

Andrew Reiner is a lecturer at Towson University, where he teaches writing, men’s studies and cultural studies. He has also published a book, Better Boys, Better Men, and written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and other publications about masculinity and mental health.

Plus, we talk with a mentor working with young men in Baltimore. The nonprofit ‘Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood’ began in 1996 to help young men navigate the dangerous waters of adolescence.

Imhotep Simba is an alumnus, and now a mentor, in Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood.

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