HOBOKEN, N.J., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Workplace burnout, youth mental health, trauma, grief, and AI companions. The issues shaping mental health today are wide-ranging, evolving and the focus of Pearson’s 2026 Mental Health Virtual Summit on October 29.

The event brings together clinical professionals, researchers and people with lived experience to explore what’s changing in mental health and what the latest research tells us. Drawing on perspectives across disciplines, leading experts will share practical strategies that attendees can use right away in education, healthcare and other clinical settings.

Why it matters: Mental health challenges are showing up more often and with greater complexity across classrooms, clinics, workplaces and communities. Nearly 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023, almost double the number recorded in 1990, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

“Mental health professionals are being asked to do more, often with limited resources, while navigating extraordinary change,” said Clay Richey, managing director of Pearson Clinical Assessment. “This Summit gives them space to step back, learn from peers and connect new evidence to what they’re seeing every day, with the goal of improving practice and care.”

Among the topics covered: 

• Mental Health Support in the Age of AI Companions, Nick Taylor, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Unmind
• Working with Career Stress and Burnout Through an Integrative Lens, Jesse Strigler, LMHC
• Detecting and Resolving Behavioral Health Risk Through Universal Screening, Randy Kamphaus, PhD, and Cecil Reynolds, PhD
• Reassessing Youth Mental Health for the GenAI Era, Scott Kollins, PhD
• Unseen Grief: Recognizing the Losses that Often Go Unacknowledged, Marianne Trent, HCPC Registered Clinical Psychologist
• Identifying Suicide Risk and Comorbidity in Complex Clinical Presentations, Robert Gibbons, PhD, and Hannah Wulczyn, MPA
• Beyond Scores: Using Assessment Data to Better Understand Adolescents, Tayla T.C. Lee, PhD, HSPP, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology, Ball State University

Also on the agenda: Trauma-informed clinical decision-making; youth mental health promotion and suicide prevention; trauma and sensory processing; personality development; and the role of the assessment relationship. See the full agenda.

Additional speakers include Aishwarya Joshi, PhD, LPC, NCC; Mark F. Patishnock, PhD, Tony Walker, PhD, and Kurt D. Michael, PhD, of the JED Foundation; Tina Champagne, OT, OTD, OTR, FAOTA; Seth Grossman, PsyD; Robert Tringone, PhD; Mitch Colp, PhD; and Linda McGhee, PhD.

Who should attend: The summit is designed for clinical and school psychologists, mental health professionals, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, educational diagnosticians, educators, administrators, allied health professionals, parents, caregivers and individuals seeking practical guidance.

Registration and professional CE credit hours: Registration is open for Pearson’s 2026 Mental Health Virtual Summit, taking place virtually on October 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET. On-demand access will be available for attendees who cannot join the live program.

Professional Continuing Education (CE) credits are available for eligible sessions. Continuing Education is being coordinated and sponsored by Pearson Assessments; the 2026 Mental Health Summit is best aligned to meet APA, NASP, AOTA, and ASHA requirements. Learn more.

About Pearson
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. That’s why our c. 18,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are the world’s lifelong learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are. Visit us at plc.pearson.com.

Media contact:
Greg.Forbes@pearson.com 

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SOURCE Pearson