YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE PENS OPEN LETTER TO HHS SECRETARY ROBERT F. KENNEDY JR. TO FOCUS ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

MAX NGUYEN, PRESIDENT OF WELLNESS PLAY, URGES HHS SECRETARY TO TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Max Nguyen, founder and president of Wellness Play, a youth-centered non-profit organization,  has issued an Open Letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. urging him to take action to support youth mental health.

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Open Letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Dear Secretary Kennedy,

I'm writing to ask for your support in the promotion of youth mental health initiatives in the work of the agencies under your purview within the Department of Health and Human Services, especially SAMSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A year ago, SAMSA issued its "Report on Safer Social Media and Online Platform Use for Youth," which provided guidance from its Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force. The Report contains valuable information for families about how to manage social and online media usage, including how to stay connected as a family both online and offline.

Unfortunately, the SAMHSA web page for Children and Family is dormant and has not been updated yet this year. We urge you to prioritize the health and wellness of children and families by reinvigorating SAMHSA's focus on children and families and by building upon prior efforts to support youth mental health online.

We want you to be aware that video games are an important part of the lives of millions of teenagers, and at Wellness Play we leverage that involvement to support community and connections among teens and their families. Research shows that teens are vulnerable to feelings of isolation and addiction to video games, and we need interventions like those we promote at Wellness Play to create healthy communities and parental involvement in this game play.

Video games can be a fun, engaging outlet and pastime for our youth. That's why we advocate for parents to support their teens by validating their interests and joining them in gaming the way that families have movie nights or other types of fun together.  Traditionally, families have played parlor games like charades or board games like Monopoly together. Now families can embrace their children's love of games by joining them in today's modern play spaces to increase familial bonds and promote mental health.

Our work at Wellness Play shows that when parents engage with their teenagers through video games, they strengthen their connection with them. Parents tell us they are able to talk with their kids about appropriate gaming contents, monitor their gaming lifestyle, and ensure they are in a safe space. Teenagers at Wellness Play have shared they feel more connected with their parents through fun, strategic video games. Often, they express their enthusiasm when they share their knowledge and expertise with their parents about in-game environments and strategies. They feel validated as knowledgeable young adults by discussing salient topics in the video game industry, including publisher monetization and engagement tactics.

Part of growing up is learning how to navigate through life safely, and parents can accompany their children not only in the physical realm but also in the virtual environment. By changing our perspective about video games, we can use it as a tool to promote communication, enhance understanding, and foster bonding experiences between parents and teens while having fun together.

Mr. Secretary, please convene a successor task force to continue this important work, specifically to focus on promoting the wellness benefits of safe online play for young people, and thereby help support the mental health of youth and families. Your leadership can reshape the future of healthy children and families for generations to come.

Sincerely,
Max Nguyen
President/Founder
Wellness Play
https://wellnessplay.org

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Regarding the Open Letter, Dr. Jennifer Nagode, MD, PhD, says, "I am a psychiatrist who has been seeing patients for over 20 years.  In the last decade, adolescent anxiety and depression have increased significantly—due to social, cultural, and technological changes which were exacerbated by pandemic and post-pandemic stressors. Many teens have turned to video games as an emotional outlet for stress and isolation. While video games are typically viewed in a negative light, they have shown to offer many therapeutic benefits, including improving cognitive skills, increasing resilience, and enhancing emotional regulation. When conscientiously and carefully selected, then played in moderation, video games can serve as a tool to connect friends and build family bonds.  By actively engaging with their teens in gameplay and openly discussing good gaming habits, parents can help teens benefit from playing video games while promoting healthy boundaries, restful sleep, and a balanced lifestyle."

Wellness Play founder and president Mr. Nguyen says, "I founded Wellness Play to raise awareness about how we can promote teen mental health by leveraging their passion for video games. By choosing what, when, and how we play, we can maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. Let's strengthen families by providing opportunities for teens to engage in healthy play while learning appropriate interpersonal skills."

SOURCE Wellness Play