Engaging Voices, Shaping Futures: Lessons From a Youth Advisory Board on Black Youth Suicide Prevention

There is increasing recognition of the need to translate academic findings into clinical practice to effectively address the youth mental health crisis.¹ Key to this translation is the early involvement of community members in the research process.² One potentially effective way to engage youth populations is through the formation of a youth advisory board (YAB),³ which provides a platform for young people to share their lived experiences, needs, and priorities. These boards, composed of youth from the community of focus, offer valuable feedback, insights, and perspectives that might otherwise go unheard. The inclusion of youth voices through YABs marks a shift toward inclusivity in research, which is key to ensuring equitable impact of research findings.² Despite efforts by funding agencies to encourage community engagement, only 15% of studies collaborate with youth at any phase of the research process.⁴ This article presents our pilot experience with a YAB, with the goal of contributing to the limited resources and guidance on the use of YABs in mental health research, particularly with underrepresented youth in biomedical research.⁵.