Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health by Will Dobud & Nevin Harper
Discover why most attempts to fix teenagers fail and what to do about it.
Anxiety, depression, self-harm, and teen suicide are rising sharply―youth mental health issues have increased over 60% in the past decade. In Kids These Days, experts Will Dobud, PhD and Nevin Harper, PhD reveal why today's kids are struggling and what adults must do differently. Endorsed by Paris Hilton, Dr. Bruce D. Perry, and Alex Hutchinson, this research-based guide delivers practical strategies for building resilience, connection, and autonomy in the next generation.
This essential guide is an unflinching examination of the failings of the mental health industry, and a call to action for adults to stand up against interference, harmful interventions, and ideologies negatively impacting our children. Both therapists, parents, and researchers, Will Dobud and Nevin Harper:
— Engage leading voices in adolescent well-being―mental health professionals, scientists, doctors, and parenting gurus―to discover why most attempts to fix teenagers fail
— Distill the last twenty years of research and clinical practice to identify the causes and potential cures for the growing youth mental health crisis
— Show how social connection, mastery, gratitude, and independence promote emotional and psychological resilience in the next generation.
What You'll Learn:
— Why anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges are symptoms, not root causes
— How overprotection, screen time, disconnection, and adult interference affect youth mental health
— Insights from 20+ years of clinical experience and adolescent psychology for raising emotionally resilient teens
— Why traditional talk therapy, diagnoses, and medication often miss the mark
— How to build trust, connection, and autonomy with kids―even in crisis
Why This Book Stands Out:
— Written by practitioners with decades of experience in outdoor therapy, youth work, and trauma-informed care
— Grounded in research and filled with expert insights from parenting and psychology professionals
— Offers practical strategies parents, educators, and youth mentors can apply immediately
About the Authors:
Will Dobud, PhD, MSW has over 20 years of therapeutic experience working with youth and families from diverse backgrounds across the US, Australia, and Norway. He has developed innovative programs that integrate psychotherapy and the outdoors to improve teenagers’ experience when seeking mental health treatment. A dedicated, award-winning researcher and senior social work lecturer, Will explores ways to improve the experience and effectiveness of mental health supports, and advocates for youth impacted by the United States’ troubled-teen industry. He is co-host of the popular Adventure Therapy Collective Podcast and co-author of Solution-Focused Practice in Outdoor Therapy: Co-Adventuring for Change and Outdoor Therapies: An Introduction To Practices, Possibilities, and Critical Perspectives. A senior lecturer in social work at Charles Sturt University, Will lives and works between Australia and the Washington DC area.
Dr. Nevin Harper is a Professor in the School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education at the University of Victoria, and a Registered Clinical Counsellor. His career has included stretches as a youth counsellor, outdoor skills instructor, shepherd, wilderness guide, and more recently author, researcher, and consultant. Nevin’s research examines human-environmental interactions, primarily through the practices of outdoor therapies and nature-based approaches to healing and wellbeing. He lives on Vancouver Island, Canada.
Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Youth Mental Health was released on September 30, 2025, published by New Society Publishers.
To learn more, visit https://www.kidsthesedaysbook.com