Man up. Just pray about it. Stop complaining. Look on the bright side. You’ll get over it. Cheer up. Be strong. Don’t be so negative. Black people don’t get depressed. Other people have it worse. It’s all in your head. You just need to pray about it. You’re being dramatic. You sound crazy. Snap out of it. BIPOC and LGBT+ youth are often left out of the mental-health conversation. When they try to discuss their mental health with friends and family, they’re met with silencing stigmas that have been passed down and ingrained in their communities, keeping them ashamed and alone. “We Can Talk about It” launched the newest phase of Seize the Awkward, a partnership between the the Ad Council, the Jed Foundation and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, challenging the taboo of discussing mental health. The film reflects the lived experiences of a diverse range of young people, addressing ingrained beliefs about mental health in the Black and Latine communities. The misconceptions the cast encounters take the form of casual remarks, misguided encouragement and toxic positivity, putting a spotlight on the culturally specific barriers BIPOC and LGBT+ youth face when it comes to overcoming stigmas to reach out to friends about mental health. Between the launch of our film, on October 25, 2022, and February 28th, 2023, “We Can Talk about It” received $2M in donated broadcast media and garnered 91M total impressions, according to preliminary estimates. From Meta, the film received $25M in total donated media across Facebook and Instagram for 8.4M impressions during the first week of November alone. Most importantly, the campaign has changed behavior. As of December 2022, 80% of young people who are aware of “Seize the Awkward” have talked with a friend about what they were going through, either emotionally or concerning their mental health. Additionally, 78% reached out to a friend who is/might be struggling with their mental health, and 70% read information on how to support a friend with their mental health on a website or social media platform.
Mosaic Award 2023 Winners