New Mental Health PSA from Seize the Awkward Encourages Young Adults to Say "We Can Talk About It"

Seize the Awkward campaign has released new Public Service Advertisements PSAs amp8220We Can Talk About Itamp8221 to inspire young adults 16 to 24 to start conversations around mental health with friends The awardwinning communications program a joint effort from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention AFSP and The Jed Foundation JED in collaboration with the Ad Council promotes mental wellness to reduce the risk and rate of suicide among young adultsAccording to new data from the CDC the suicide rate among young people aged 15 to 24 rose 8 in 2021 an increase of 345 lives lost and the highest increase among any age group On top of these widespread struggles Black and HispanicLatine people in the United States are less likely to receive mental health care and their experiences of racism and discrimination can exacerbate mental health strugglesamp8220We know the pandemic has taken a toll on the mental health of our teens and young adults That39s why the Seize the Awkward campaign which provides guidance for friends supporting one another is more important than everamp8221 said AFSP CEO Bob Gebbia amp8220And we are pleased that the latest campaign ads place emphasis on reaching Black and HispanicLatine youth who are struggling At AFSP we are committed to doing everything we can to help address the mental health and suicide prevention needs of underrepresented populationsamp8221quotWe are pleased to continue our collaboration with The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the Ad Council on Seize the Awkwardamp8217s newest efforts as young people need more support than ever in protecting their mental healthamp8221 said Jed Foundation CEO John MacPhee amp8220Black and HispanicLatine youth face additional challenges in accessing the care they deserve As mental health leaders for our countryamp8217s youth we are responsible for providing resources that address the unique challenges that all young people face while advocating for increased equity in mental healthamp8221Recognizing the need for culturally relevant content and resources for Black and HispanicLatine young adults the Seize the Awkward campaign created amp8220We Can Talk About Itamp8221 The new PSAs developed pro bono by awardwinning creative agency and longtime partner Droga5 reflect the lived experiences of a diverse range of young people Inspired by the insight that young people are surrounded by harmful messages around mental health amp8220We Can Talk About Itamp8221 encourages them to counteract these messages by reaching out to friends who may be strugglingThe campaign aims to equip all young adults with accessible and relatable information to help talk about mental health with friends and directs audiences to SeizeTheAwkwardorg for more resourcesamp8220amp8216We Can Talk About Itamp8217 isnamp8217t just the title of these new PSAs Itamp8217s an affirmation that by starting honest conversations about mental health struggles we can break through barriers and help more people feel heard and supportedamp8221 said Ad Council Chief Campaign Development Officer Heidi Arthur amp8220Along with our valued partners weamp8217re proud to help change the narrative around mental health and provide young adults with resources to be there for each otheramp8221amp8220For the last five years Droga5 has been leading the creative development of the Seize the Awkward campaign This time we focused on Black and HispanicLatine youth who often face even more pressure when it comes to mental healthamp8221 said Droga5 Executive Creative Director Kevin Brady amp8220Our film took a frank look at how the pressures of racism masculinity and toxic positivity can affect mental health and let all youth know that the first step is reaching out to a friend to talk about how theyamp8217re feelingamp8221The PSAs will appear nationwide across all media platforms including broadcast digital social outofhome and print The films were directed by Haya Waseem and director of photography Chris LewThe amp8220We Can Talk About Itamp8221 PSAs are the latest among many ongoing activations for the Seize the Awkward campaign Throughout 2022 creative and influencer content has launched across all major social and digital platforms in partnership with Meta Pinterest Reddit Snap and TikTok Additionally the campaign is teaming up with Adobe to raise awareness about the mental health struggles that young adults face coming together on content and resources that make it easier for young adults to connect and support people close to them who may be facing mental health challengesRecent highlights includeA video PSA featuring USC quarterback Caleb Williams developed by students from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and JournalismThe launch of the amp8220Real Talkamp8221 Instagram Live series which kicked off with a conversation between mental health professional Hayden Dawes and social activist Deja FoxxIn partnership with The Hustleramp8217s Guild and JOY Collective a variety of activations on social media including the upcoming amp8220Convos with the Cutamp8221 video messages from celebrities Amber Riley and Eric Bellinger and encouraging reminders from student ambassadors at historically Black colleges and universities HBCUsVideos in partnership with TikTok featuring prominent young adult mental health creators Kam Arnold Rubee Lana Gabi Ovalles Owin Pierson Gigi Robinson and Seth WilliamsSince its inception in January 2018 Seize the Awkward has been a trusted source of information for millions of young adults across the country driving over 28 million visits to the campaignamp8217s website For tools and resources to start a conversation with a friend around mental health visit SeizeTheAwkwardorg and SeizeTheAwkward on InstagramAmerican Foundation for Suicide Prevention AFSPThe American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide including those who have experienced a loss AFSP creates a culture that39s smart about mental health through public education and community programs develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy and provides support for those affected by suicide Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York and with a public policy office in Washington DC AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states including Puerto Rico with programs and events nationwide Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook Twitter Instagram and YouTubeThe Jed Foundation JEDThe Jed Foundation is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nationamp8217s teens and young adults Weamp8217re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health substance misuse and suicide prevention programs and systems Weamp8217re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other Weamp8217re encouraging community awareness understanding and action for young adult mental healthConnect with Jed Email Twitter Facebook Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Snapchat PinterestClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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New Mental Health PSA from Seize the Awkward Encourages Young Adults to Say "We Can Talk About It"

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New Mental Health PSA from Seize the Awkward Encourages Young Adults to Say "We Can Talk About It"

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