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These Two Women Collaborated To Remove Mental Health Stigmas In Marginalized Communities

This article is more than 2 years old.

At the start of the beginning of the pandemic, the world was hit hard with economic disparities, job furloughs and a global health crisis to which many lost their lives. Amongst the impacted groups are African-Americans and Black folks, whose mental health were at a complete disadvantage. Between the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and Black people dying at disproportionate rates due to COVID-19, the necessity of mental health support and resources were dire. Thankfully, over 100 media companies, businesses, non-profits, and cultural leaders banded together to make a difference.

On Tuesday, April 13, more than 150 brands and organizations including MTV Entertainment announced the first-ever Mental Health Action Day - the largest coordinated, cross-sector moment of action on mental health in history. “We created Mental Health Action Day to shift our culture  from awareness to action,” said Noopur Agarwal, Vice President of Social Impact at MTV Entertainment, to For(bes) The Culture. “The pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues for millions, and we want to help people find tangible actions that they can take for themselves, their loved ones and their community.”

Agarwal told For(bes) The Culture that MTV also launched their “Mental Health is Health” initiative earlier this year, which “aims to normalize conversation, create a connection to resources and inspire action on mental health” while being “rooted in the reality that we all have mental health and need to take care of it like we do our physical health.” In May, the Mental Health Storytelling Coalition convened by MTV Entertainment Group debuted the free 3-day virtual Better Together: Mental Health Storytelling Summit, featuring powerful conversations about mental health representation with visionaries and thought leaders across entertainment, including Oprah Winfrey, H.E.R, Anthony Anderson, Charlamagne tha God, Kenya Barris, Miguel and more.

During Mental Health Awareness Month, For(bes) The Culture had the opportunity to connect with Agarwal and Dr. Joy Harden-Bradford, founder of Therapy for Black Girls, about racial trauma in the Black community, MTV’s efforts to destigmatize mental health conversations and the importance of providing resources to Black folks and other marginalized communities.

For(bes) The Culture: What is the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month?

Dr. Joy Harden Bradford: It’s a concentrated effort where different entities are working altogether with the goal of helping others understand more about mental health. It’s an excellent opportunity to be connected to new resources and learn new things about taking better care of ourselves.

For(bes) The Culture: As a therapist, how have you seen racial trauma and triggers of police brutality and racial injustice severely impact the Black community?

Dr. Bradford: The impact of police brutality and racial injustice has been significant in the Black community. During an already stressful time, Black people have experienced additional anxiety, frustration, anger, and hopelessness related to how we are still not seen as fully human. The toll that this can take is critical. It can result in things like mood disturbances, sleep disturbances, and feeling more isolated.

For(bes) The Culture: Noopur, as a woman of color, how do you make sure to manage your mental health on a day-to-day basis?

Noopur Agarwal: It’s so important to treat our mental health as a core part of our overall health. For me, that means being open about how I’m feeling and never shying away from conversations about my emotional well-being. I am also fortunate to have a strong support system and I lean on those individuals whenever I need to.

For(bes) The Culture: How have you both seen mental health and the entertainment industry work hand-in-hand?

Dr. Bradford: I have been really inspired by the attempts to include more mental health storylines in entertainment recently. I think we are seeing more attention paid to what mental health looks like on an everyday basis and not just in moments of crisis. I’ve also enjoyed seeing more depictions of characters going to therapy and getting support as I think these things can go a long way in reducing the stigma related to mental health.

Agarwal: MTV has a long history of working with mental health experts, going back 15 years to the launch of our Peabody Award-winning campaign on youth mental health. Working on that campaign, I witnessed the power of storytelling first hand. Artists like Mary J Blige, Demi Lovato and Macklemore courageously opened up about their emotional struggles alongside brave young people from across the country.  

Those real stories ultimately helped break stigma, encouraged help-seeking and fundamentally changed the national conversation about mental health. Seeing the impact we could have through storytelling, it was clear we had to think even bigger and tap one of our greatest assets: our shows. A study published by the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in 2019 found that only 7% of scripted TV characters experienced a mental health condition, compared to nearly 20% of the general population. And when mental health conditions were represented, the portrayals often perpetuated stigma and very rarely depicted help-seeking.

As storylines about emotional health surfaced in our content, for example, on VH1’s ”Black Ink Crew: Chicago” one of the central cast members Pho, revealed his depression to the cast. We partnered closely with experts to ensure that his storyline was imparting a positive message while also connecting viewers to resources. His storylines not only depicted the topic in an organic way but also resonated deeply with audiences, particularly in the Black community which has seen the topic as verboten, driving hundreds of thousands of viewers to seek resources and help. This type of high-impact show integration work is happening across the industry with the support of many leading expert organizations. And while the commitment to this work is inspiring, there’s still a long way to go.

For(bes) The Culture: How can the Mental Health Action Day movement more deeply support Black communities and other marginalized groups during this time?

Dr. Bradford: It’s important to contribute funds to groups and organizations that are already doing incredible work in creating access and resources for mental health in the Black community and other communities that have been marginalized. New initiatives are not always necessary. Sometimes it’s more effective to find the people already doing the work and amplifying their messages and providing resources for them to continue.

Agarwal: The pandemic and other recent events have taken a severe toll on mental health in BIPOC communities —from the stressors of systemic racism and persistent incidences of  police brutality, to anti-Asian violence and the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Latino/a/x and Indigenous folks. Through Mental Health Action Day, we’re intentionally bringing together partners who can reach BIPOC communities, and collectively amplify the message that we must take action to support our mental health. From Color Of Change, to Black Girls Smile and beyond, partner activations will take many forms, and be tailored to the needs of each community.

Boosting representation of diverse communities in content is another way in which we can support mental health in BIPOC communities. Seeing members of our own community dealing with mental health challenges on screen can have a major impact on the way we perceive mental health, how we talk about it and our propensity to seek help and help others. That’s why the Mental Health Media guide has specific recommendations for how to authentically tell these stories in a way that resonates with marginalized communities who are often underrepresented in entertainment media and at higher-risk for mental health challenges.

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