I had the great pleasure of sitting down with Shaleece Haas, director of the film Real Boy, which will make its television debut on PBS on June 19th and will remain available on PBS.org for the remainder of the month. Real Boy follows the transition of a young trans man, Bennett Wallace, as he navigates the intersectionality…
Category: News from the Field
#StatusOfMind: Instagram and Snapchat and their effect on mental health
Numerous studies have confirmed that social media usage can negatively impact mental health, but a new report called #StatusOfMind, published by Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) and the Young Health Movement (YHM), recently reported that Instagram, followed by Snapchat, is the worst social media app for young people’s mental health. Surveying around 1,500 people…
Which Mental Health Profession is Right for You?
Are you a soon-to-be grad interested in working in the mental health field? Do you know the difference between counseling, therapy, and psychology careers? Check out this infographic from Online Counseling Programs, which compares 10 mental health careers with personality types so you can discover which career path makes the most sense for you.
Life after Active Minds: Pursuing a career as a mental health advocate
This post is the second in a two-part series on life after Active Minds. Have you ever considered Active Minds to be more like a second major or part-time job than an extracurricular activity? Has your time with Active Minds in college made you consider a career in mental health advocacy? Are you seeking any…
One Second Every Day
I knew from the moment I accepted the position that going on tour with Send Silence Packing was going to be a once in a lifetime experience. Of course the prospect of experiencing something so amazing made me excited but it simultaneously planted a seed of anxiety. How in the world could I capture this…
“Mad Hatter” Perpetuates Stigma around Mental Illness
This post speaks candidly about the portrayal of mental illness in popular media and includes stigmatizing language and descriptions to help inform readers about the topic. In recent years discussion about mental health and awareness about mental illness has been on the rise. The conversation has even found its way into pop culture with musical artists like Sia. However, mental…
Send Silence Packing: Becoming My Own Hero
I’ve never identified as a maker. I don’t bake, I’ve never built a house, and I’m not dedicated to any particular form of art. My professional career has consisted of positions in which I’ve helped, organized, cared for, coordinated, scheduled, planned, listened, attended meetings, and ultimately had no tangible product to show for all my…
#ReasonsISpeak: Your voice is your power
Every September we honor Suicide Prevention Month with the #ReasonsISpeak campaign on social media. Thank you for another successful campaign, and for helping us share with the world the reasons we speak about mental health and suicide. Your voice is your power, and every story shared helps reduce the stigma around mental health issues. Below…
AUCCCD Infographic: A Closer Look at College Counseling Centers
The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) recently released their annual report on college counseling center trends, so we put together an infographic to highlight a few of the key takeaways. You can read the full report here.
Why Active Minds Honors the Healthiest Campuses in America
This is a big day at Active Minds: We just named the winners of the 2016 Healthy Campus Award. Congratulations to each of the winning institutions (You can learn all about why they won here): California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach, CA) Jefferson College (Hillsboro, MO) Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) Sacramento State (Sacramento, CA) School…