MTV Celebrates Its Fourth Annual Mental Health Action Day

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MTV celebrates its fourth annual Mental Health Action Day, which takes place on May 16. The global movement aims to empower people to shift mental health culture from awareness to action. Read more details about the movement inside.

The network has partnered with over 2,300 partners, who have joined in an effort to activate the initiative that hopes to reach young people across the country. Some of the partners include YouTube, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CBS, Reddit, Pinterest, the NBA, and Sesame Workshop.

As Mental Health Awareness Month continues, MTV and Paramount awarded 22 grants to local non-profit organizations across the nation like Taylor Made Re-Entry, which was founded by Breonna Taylor’s sister, Dee Dee Taylor. The organization is on a mission to mend experiences between communities, law enforcement, and impacted citizens by creating unique experiences to facilitate safe and successful reentries back into the community.

Today, Taylor Made Re-Entry hosts its second annual mental health activation at the Genesee County Jail. This initiative is a direct response to the urgent need to confront mental health challenges among incarcerated individuals across the U.S.

Statistics reveal that 80 percent to 90 percent of individuals in jails nationwide return to their communities without adequate rehabilitative support. Through Dee Dee’s initiative, the organization aims to provide essential emotional and mental health tools for success, ensuring that all those impacted by incarceration, both staff and individuals within the jail environment, have the resources they need to thrive.

Another organization being uplifted in the program is The Malone Family Foundation founded by former Pittsburgh Penguins player Ryan Malone. The Malone Scholars Program has provided scholarship endowments to select independent secondary schools throughout the U.S. This offers continuing scholarships for top students who are motivated to excel but lack the resources to fund such an education.

Today, The Malone Family Foundation will host a celebrity hockey game in Pittsburgh, PA, which focuses on the healing power of hockey. Over 30 current and former NHL players, members of our Veteran and First Responder communities and mental health advocates will participate in the game.

SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios, in partnership with more than 2,300 leading brands, nonprofits and cultural leaders globally, are turning their awareness into action with the 2024 Mental Health Action Day. This year’s call to action is to dedicate one hour to social connection.

The companies partner with leading youth mental health nonprofit Active Minds to launch a YouTube-based choose-your own-adventure-style interactive video designed to teach young people the new “stop, drop and roll” for emotional support: A.S.K., which stands for Acknowledge, Support and Keep-in-Touch. Internationally, a creative campaign that highlights A.S.K. and locally relevant mental health resources will roll out across Paramount’s linear, social and digital platforms outside the USA.

“The mental health crisis touches every community across the globe, and it requires a response that is just as expansive,” said Brianna Cayo Cotter, SVP of Social Impact at SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios. “We are thrilled to see Mental Health Action Day creating a surround sound for mental health actions in every corner of the world. Whether that’s connecting with oneself, participating in a community event, or trying the new A.S.K. digital experience to better learn how to help a friend, we hope that everyone can take a mental health action on May 16th that is meaningful to them.”

A.S.K. launched at the VMAs last September and has shown up on more than 50 college campuses including participating in the U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s “We Are Made to Connect Campus Tour,” at New York Comic Con with RuPaul’s Drag Race, at a Detroit Pistons game, at the White House Easter Egg Roll and on the sidelines of Art Basel Miami Beach, the Super Bowl and the NCAA Final Four Tip Off Tailgate. Active Minds will continue to promote A.S.K. to their 1000+ campuses, schools, and communities across this country this May.

“The youth mental health crisis has become the defining public health challenge of our time, and these new resources will help young people find support and build social connection into their daily lives,” said U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy. “In the face of unprecedented challenges, our youth have worked hard to foster supportive environments for one another, and on this Mental Health Action Day, I’m grateful to see so many stepping up to help them.”

Check out the list of brands and organizations involved in the fourth annual Mental Health Action Day:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters
• Born This Way Foundation
• CBS
• FEMINIST
• Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes
• inseparable
• lululemon
• National Alliance on Mental Illness
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing
• National Basketball Association (NBA)
• Pinterest
• Reddit Inc.
• Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
• Schultz Family Foundation
• Sesame Workshop
• SHOWTIME
• Snap, Inc.
• TED
• TikTok
• The AAKOMA Project
• The Shawn Mendes Foundation
• The Trevor Project
• Think-Film Impact Production
• Ulta Beauty
• UTA Foundation
• VidCon
• Washington Commanders
• YouTube

Learn more about Mental Health Action Day here.

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