Alexandra
Daddario, Andrew Levitt,
Josh Griffith, mental health
advocates, and more joined the Kids Mental Health Foundation and
Mental Health Storytelling Initiative on Children's Mental Health
Awareness Day to discuss children's mental health in entertainment
and media
NEW
YORK, May 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The
Kids Mental Health Foundation (KMHF) hosted a panel alongside
the Mental Health Storytelling, which is housed at the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, in New York City. The event marked Children's
Mental Health Awareness Day on May
7th and celebrated the launch of the children's section of
the Mental Health Media Guide. The new section was developed
by KMHF in partnership with the USC
Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
The new children's section can be accessed HERE.
The event, "Changing the Narrative: Children's Mental Health
in Entertainment & Media," focused on the importance of
accurate and thoughtful portrayals and representation of children's
mental health stories within entertainment, media, and content
creation. Speakers included Alexandra
Daddario, KMHF celebrity champion and actor;
Andrew Levitt, KMHF celebrity
champion, actor, and LGBTQ+ activist; Ashley Kolaya, Director of the Mental Health
Storytelling Initiative; Josh
Griffith, Executive Producer and Head Writer for "The
Young and the Restless;" Noopur
Agarwal, Vice President of Social Impact for
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios; Ross
Szabo, Wellness Director Geffen
Academy at UCLA; and Dr.
Whitney Raglin Bignall,
Associate Clinical Director of The Kids Mental Health
Foundation.
"Part of the human condition is to learn to find a new way to
tackle issues and tell children it's okay to be who you are," said
Alexandra Daddario. "Being
human doesn't mean you're perfect and we can teach kids that."
"Storytellers and content creators have the ability to educate
and create meaningful change through their work," said Dr.
Whitney Raglin Bignall, Associate
Clinical Director of The Kids Mental Health Foundation and
Pediatric Psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital. "It's
extremely powerful when families and caregivers see accurate
depictions of kids' mental health. The Guide's insight and
recommendations will be critical for storytellers as they write
storylines that can model positive kids' mental health
behaviors."
The Mental Health Media Guide is a groundbreaking, comprehensive
resource for content creators designed to help expand authentic
mental health portrayals. The guide was developed by a coalition of
mental health experts and organizations such as The Kids Mental
Health Foundation and leading entertainment companies and creative
professionals, spearheaded by SHOWTIME / MTV Entertainment Studios
and USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative.
The best practices and evidence-based recommendations in this
interactive tool are meant to support storytellers at any phase in
the production process. The children's section is the latest
installment and comes at a time when there is an increasing need to
address children's mental health.
"We are thrilled to launch this important addition to the Mental
Health Media Guide. Understanding children's mental health is the
first step toward supporting and improving it," said
Ashley Kolaya, Director of the
Mental Health Storytelling Initiative. "In portraying authentic
mental health narratives, content creators aren't just crafting
better stories - they're empowering their audiences with knowledge
and helping them build empathy."
The panel discussion follows KMHF's announcement of the
expansion of its mission to champion the mental well-being of
children across the nation. Building upon the success of On Our
Sleeves, the organization is moving forward as The Kids Mental
Health Foundation to reflect its belief that emotional and physical
well-being deserve equal weight when considering a child's health.
KMHF will continue to equip children with skills to navigate their
mental health while also helping adults build healthy, empathetic,
and communicative relationships with the kids in their lives.
For more about the Mental Health Media Guide, click here. For
more information about The Kids Mental Health Foundation, please
visit KidsMentalHealthFoundation.org.
ABOUT THE KIDS MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
The Kids
Mental Health Foundation is the leading organization promoting
mental health for children in the United
States. To achieve its vision to build a world where mental
health is a vital part of every child's upbringing, nearly 1,000
mental health professionals and researchers at Nationwide
Children's Hospital, in partnership with other trusted experts,
provide real-world knowledge and expertise to power the
Foundation's free educational videos, guides and curriculum.
Created in 2018 as The On Our Sleeves Movement for Children's
Mental Health, the recent name change reflects the Foundation's
belief that emotional and physical wellbeing deserve equal weight
when considering the health of a child. To date more than 15
million people have engaged with the Foundation's materials,
helping parents, educators and coaches be a guiding force for
children all across the United
States.
CONTACT: kmhf@ssmandl.com
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SOURCE The Kids Mental Health Foundation