SAGE Lecture Spark [4/9/19] The Publisher of the Social Sciences

Kyle Guy: Basketball Star Praised for Candor on Anxiety Fight NCAA star Kyle Guy is being commended for talking about his struggle with anxiety and depression publicly, including in a “confessional letter addressed to himself, detailing his struggle with mental health and the pressure to perform.” “...[Guy] has become an ambassador for mental health awareness in college sport and, thanks to support from his doctor and family, says his anxiety is under control.” He stresses that people with mental illness struggles are “not alone.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47873532

What Happens to the Mental Health of School-Shooting Survivors? Recently, two survivors of the Parkland shooting and the father of a Sandy Hook victim have died in apparent suicides. Many survivors have PTSD or “survivor’s guilt.” “At some level, when the media shows up it shows that the world cares and is paying attention. But then when the media leaves there can be a void.” “[When the media portrays survivor kids as strong]... those kids may really struggle with feeling like it’s not okay to feel the way that they’re feeling.” https://www.thecut.com/2019/03/understanding-the-parkland-shooting-survivor-suicides.html

Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as Major Problem Among Peers “Anxiety and depression are on the rise among America’s youth and, whether they personally suffer from these conditions or not, seven-in-ten teens today see them as major problems among their peers.” “Concern about mental health cuts across gender, racial and socio-economic lines, with roughly equal shares of teens across demographic groups saying it is a significant issue in their community.” https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2019/02/20/most-u-s-teens-see-anxiety-and-depression-as-a-major-problem-among-their-peers/

Arizona H.S. Students Are Making Mental Health the Focus of Anti-Gun-Violence Legislation “In order to avoid being added to the list of victims of the gun-violence epidemic raging across the country, Arizona students have organized and staged marches, protests, sit-ins and die-ins to promote and broaden the inclusion of gun safety in the agenda of the Arizona legislature.” They are turning to coming elections to defend themselves and state: “Our theme for this session is #ExpectUs. Expect us at the polls, at school boards, and at the legislature.  https://www.thenation.com/article/in-arizona-high-school-students-are-making-mental-health-the-focus-of-anti-gun-violence-legislation/

Key Concepts Kyle Guy and Mental Health Awareness in the Media Mental health issues are on the rise among America’s youth. Despite this, they are not discussed in the media often. Many of the articles on Kyle Guy’s victory make passing mention of his mental health struggles and instead focus on his sport. As a result of this conflict, college student Guy and high school students mentioned in this week’s articles are taking it upon themselves to raise awareness of the difficulty associated with mental illness. Media can be both helpful and detrimental to this cause, depending on their approach.

Assessment Writing: An interview in The Cut article explored how media can be detrimental to survivors of violence by simplifying their issues and portraying them as strong. How might the media go about this differently? Debate: Should it be the responsibility of the media to talk about mental health? Isn’t that the job of mental health professionals, experts, researchers, and parents in the home? Poll: Should the media talk about the private lives of sports stars, celebrities, or teenagers when it concerns mental health? Yes, No, Unsure Short Answer: Do you feel your school does enough to support mental health? Current Events Quiz Kyle Guy has struggled with: Guy stressed that people with mental health concerns need to be: Survivors of school shootings struggle with a phenomenon called: The media can be a positive influence when it: Students in Arizona are looking to create change via: Answers Anxiety and depression Supported “Survivor’s guilt” Shows that the world cares Politics

https://www.ted.com/talks/nikki_webber_allen_don_t_suffer_from_your_depression_in_silence Having feelings isn't a sign of weakness -- they mean we're human, says producer and activist Nikki Webber Allen. Even after being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, Webber Allen felt too ashamed to tell anybody, keeping her condition a secret until a family tragedy revealed how others close to her were also suffering. In this important talk about mental health, she speaks openly about her struggle -- and why communities of color must undo the stigma that misreads depression as a weakness and keeps sufferers from getting help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7WH7A2v7OU What does a real psychologist think of how mental illness is portrayed in movies? Dr. Ali Mattu, clinical psychologist at the Columbia University Medical Center, takes a look at how mental illness is depicted in pop culture and tells us how accurate they really are.