FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2009

The Jed Foundation and mtvU Unveil New Content on Helping Friends

New "Half of Us" content focuses on the role of friends in dealing with mental health issues.


New York, NY – October 13, 2009 –  As part of the Peabody Award-winning “Half of Us” campaign, mtvU, MTV’s 24-hour college network, and The Jed Foundation, the leading nonprofit working to reduce emotional distress and prevent suicide among college students, unveiled new on-air and online content to educate and empower students to help friends who may be struggling emotionally. New additions to the campaign include three public service announcements that depict situations where students are being proactive in supporting friends who may be facing mental health issues, and programming that provides student and expert commentary on common emotional challenges faced by students.

The “Half of Us” campaign takes its name from research showing that nearly half of all college students say they have been so depressed or stressed that they couldn’t function at some point during the last year. Peers play an important role in encouraging friends to get help for emotional problems – research conducted for the “Half of Us” campaign found that over 75% of students would turn to friends if they were struggling. To ensure  students are prepared to help peers in need, the “Half of Us” campaign is is raising awareness of mental health problems, educating students on how to identify a potential issue and giving students the tools they need to have a healthy dialogue with friends about reaching out and getting help., mtvU and The Jed Foundation released the following on-air and online content:

  • Getting Low (public service announcement):  A dramatic spot that emphasizes the importance of being attentive and supportive to friends who are struggling or have a diagnosed condition and emphasizes that sometimes just “being there” is an important step.

  • Face Time (public service announcement):  This spot focuses on the opportunities we have to spot potential warning signs in a friend.  In this situation, it is status updates on Facebook that lead the main character to be concerned.  It also shows a friend being assertive about wanting to help and not taking “I’m fine” for an answer.

  • Subtext (public service announcement): This spot shows a realistic intervention between two male friends.  The friend who is struggling with mental health issues is defensive and uses typical excuses for his behavior, but on-screen text shows the “subtext” of what is really going on.

  • What Would You Do? (video feature): A piece that students what they would do if they had a friend exhibiting behavior/symptoms that are common to mental health issues (not getting out of bed, excessive spending, etc.).  An expert from NYU provides professional narrative and guidance.

     
mtvU and The Jed Foundation launched the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated “Half of Us” campaign in November 2006 to fight the stigma around mental health and encourage help-seeking among college students across the country. The campaign includes on-air, online and on campus elements. The backbone of the campaign is www.HalfofUs.com where students can access a variety of programming and resources, including videos featuring a diverse group of students and artists like Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Brittany Snow, speaking candidly about their personal struggles with serious mental health issues. The centerpiece of the site is an anonymous self-evaluator screening tool – developed by the Duke University Medical Center – which helps users understand more about their state of mind and access campus-specific resources. The site also features an action center where students can become advocates on issues related to college mental health and suicide prevention.


The “Half of Us” campaign was built on original research that showed most students would not seek help for emotional issues due to embarrassment or a lack of information about available resources (visit www.HalfofUs.com/press.aspx to view the findings of the “mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students).

 

About the JED foundation

The Jed Foundation is the nation's leading organization working to reduce emotional distress and prevent suicide among college students. Guided by leading experts, The Jed Foundation is changing the way students and parents think about mental health, paving the way for more young people to get the treatment they need, and helping colleges build safer, healthier campus communities.  Founded in 2000, the organization's key programs include:  ULifeline, an online resource where students from over 1,250 colleges can get campus-specific resources and take an anonymous screening; the Peabody Award-winning Half of Us campaign with mtvU which uses online, on-air and on campus elements to decrease stigma around mental illness and encourage help-seeking;  a portfolio of nationally recognized tools, resources and training programs that help campuses effectively promote mental health and protect at-risk students.

Learn more by visiting www.jedfoundation.org, www.halfofus.com or www.ulifeline.org.

PRESS CONTACT:
Courtney Knowles
212-647-7544
cell:  917-678-3075
cknowles@jedfoundation.org