When researching what problems are faced in our community, we came across the importance of understanding risk and protective factors.

 

Risk factors are defined as, “characteristics at the biological, psychological, family, community, or cultural level that precede and are associated with a higher likelihood of negative outcomes” (SAMHSA 2019). Our risk factors were specifically chosen according to what our peers are facing, as well as what most commonly impacts all teens. Through our campaign, we focused on a these risk factors:

• Lack of Sleep

• Physical Inactivity

• Unstable Relationships

​The American Psychological Association (APA) recommends 8-10 of sleep for teen every night. According to a survey we distributed, the average hours of sleep per night among teens was a clear 6 hours. Physical inactivity is rampant among teens which leads to disrupted brain chemistry, reduced stress resilience, and depressed mood. Unstable relationships are very common among teens, often leading to chronic stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion, which is ultimately why we set out to create a campaign that focused on alleviating the detrimental impacts of these risk factors in the long term.