Movies for Mental Health event explores stigma through short films
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This document summarizes a mental health event held at Eastern Connecticut State University on April 10, 2018. The event featured short films about mental health issues and a discussion with a panel of students and mental health professionals. The event was introduced with information about stigma surrounding mental health and discussions of several short films that portrayed mental illness and experiences with conditions like eating disorders and anxiety. Attendees then shared their reactions to the films and discussed what people can do to address mental health issues and stigma. The event concluded with a panel discussion featuring student and professional perspectives on mental health. Attendees were also invited to join an ambassador program to continue raising awareness through activities like blogging and organizing campaigns.
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Movies for Mental Health event explores stigma through short films
- 1. Movies for Mental Health Eastern Connecticut State University April 10, 2018 @artwithimpact #Movies4MentalHealth
- 2. Here’s the Plan I. Quick Introduction II. Set the Stage Together III. Watch Short Films & Discuss Them IV. Make it Personal with Our Panel
- 3. Brought to you by • Monthly Short Film Competition • Campus Workshops • Global Community (blog, IG, Twitter, FB)
- 4. Heads Up ★ Mental health is personal - YOU are the expert of your own experience. ★ This is a public space - not therapy. ★ We’re here for connection, questions and creating change! ★ Films might trigger big emotions - that’s OK! ★ Please ask for help if you need support.
- 5. Stigma A judgment or stereotype that is: 1. Always negative 2. Always untrue 3. Can be internalized
- 6. Anosognosia By Leesa Kim AWI Winner, January 2016
- 7. What did you notice about stigma? - People seemed nervous to ask him what was going on - Evident that the girl did not know how to respond to him with the cookie. This related to whoe people often don’t know how to respond when someone is struggling with MH - We learn the stigmas and clearly define “Rules” we follow
- 8. How does stigma feel? - invalidating - dirty- shameful - overwhelming - embarrassed - alone - burden - stressful - weakness - outcast
- 10. Mental Health Mental Illness Mental Wellness
- 11. Some movies that show mental illness: -A beautiful mind -Loving Vincent -Silver linings playbook Gone with the wind To the bone The road within Fatal attraction Temple Grandin One flew over the cuckoos nest Psycho
- 12. Characters with mental illness are portrayed as: “Crazy” Erratic Extreme Unstable Unorganized Scary Aggressive Isolated Dark
- 13. Autobiography of a Body By Randy Kelly AWI Winner, January 2018
- 14. Discuss • What did you think? • What did you feel?
- 15. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts -great to see the opposite end of eating disorders that what we typically think -school setting- automatically thought of bullying, those feelings were palpable -I liked the symbol of holding the candle, internally lighting himself up -I loved how he was talking about loving himself as he is, and I wish he uses self love to hopefully get help Feelings -I related to how he was feeling (loneliness, being incapable of feeling loved) even though I don’t relate to the source. -Setting- all of the desks were empty, symbolism for isolation that you can feel. Feeling the weight of stigma and judgement, hard to feel like anyone is actually around you -Heartbreaking to see someone in so much pain and harboring so much anger toward those he judged. Important to find self love in order to love others. Hope he can learn to love others again after loving himself -Stuck with me that he made fun of himself in order to make it easier. I felt that, and can relate to that.
- 16. Core. By Ashlen Harkness AWI Winner, November 2016
- 17. Discuss • What did you think? • What did you feel?
- 18. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts -A lot more intense than the other films. -Her description is exactly how it feels for me. It almost triggered me to feel those things- so accurate and vivid images -Pace of voice and video, exactly how anxiety is in terms of being unpredictable, quiet and then intense. -Physiological description is often hard to describe. This film can make it easier for people who may not have experienced to understand. Feelings -I felt what she was describing, especially the hands on neck -I felt the hand on my heart feeling. Feel like someone is clutching my heart and mind, and I can’t do anything to control that -Good, but zoned out near the end and went into my own experience. I could see the visuals but felt in my own isolated experience.
- 19. Why don’t people get help? -Don’t know how to ask -Unsure of what the problem is, or if you even have one. -Afraid there is no treatment, or that it won’t work on you -Feels normal, may not know that there is any reason to get help. -Afraid people will judge you -Don’t want to be diagnosed, it will validate what you’re experiencing -Diagnoses may follow you in the professional work and prevent certain opportunties.
- 20. Little Elizabeth By Elizabeth Ayiku AWI Winner, February 2018
- 22. What can we do? - Be more informed and know more about these topics - Then, work on yourself and accept that everyone has some form of MH issue, and your judging is the thing you have to work on - Be kind to strangers. They may need the most love
- 23. Meet the Panel • Lauren Leavey - ECSU Student • Colleen Warner - ECSU Student • Jolene Potter - ECSU Student • Dr. Joseph Cherepon - Director, ECSU Counseling and Psychological Services • Nicole Godbout, MS, MSW - Crisis Counselor / Adult Victim Advocate, Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Eastern CT • Dr. Annemarie D'Ambrosio-Govardhan - Psychological Examiner & Coordinator of Psychological Services, Natchaug Hospital
- 24. AWI Ambassadors • You’re invited! Continue the conversation, be a leader! • Join the AWI Ambassadors FB group and connect with students across North America: www.facebook.com/groups/awiambassadors/ • Blog, be a juror for the film competition, run campaigns, and much more!
- 25. Thank you for coming! • Contact us: info@artwithimpact.org • Follow us! • Submit a film! https://www.artwithimpact.org/films/submit-a-film/
Editor's Notes
- Campus organizer (may) introduce facilitator Brief introduction – welcome, name Encourage people to come closer Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter and document this event - we’d love to see your photos!
- Brief agenda review: - will give you a brief summary of AWI - set the stage together, which really means that as a group we’ll have a discussion and provide a context for the topics - we have four short films from our library to show you, together we’ll discuss the themes - Make it personal with a panel of campus and community resources to connect you with - You’ll be doing most of the talking today! Mention photos - if you would prefer not to have your face in photos please inform us after the event
- Who is AWI? - we are a charity dedicated to reducing the stigma of mental illness with transition-aged youth, work in regions throughout North America - we have been working in the US and Canada since 2011 - We host an ongoing monthly short film competition where filmmakers anywhere in the world can submit a film on the topic of mental health, these are juried and monthly winners receive $1,000 cash prize (will tell you more about that at the end of our time together) - We then take these winning films and facilitate discussions in our postsecondary Movies for Mental Health program (you’ll see what this is all about today) and run a high school program that teaches media literacy to youth and allows them to make their own short films on mental health - Also a part of a larger global community, release blogs twice a week on feature length films, or film festivals related to themes of mental illness Brought to you by: - mention any nonprofit partners or corporate sponsors
- Want to explain what I mean about this statement… Mental health is personal and our experiences are different, we all come from different backgrounds and cultures – you are the experts on YOU and know yourself better than anyone else. We don’t often talk about mental health; as a society we don’t tend to talk about issues/experiences related to this theme, so sometimes we don’t know HOW to talk about these topics. First and foremost keep yourself safe today, don’t feel compelled to share anything you’re not comfortable with. This is a new space and you might feel ready to share but might not know what responses you’ll have, and it is a public space with no guaranteed confidentiality so be mindful of the space that we are in before you disclose. Some of the films might be triggering, meaning they might elicit an emotional reaction. It’s ok to feel! But if you ever feel that you are not OK, or unsafe, please do what you need to do to take care of yourself. We have counsellors in the room today that are here to help you if you need to step out (say names of counsellors, have them raise their hands in the audience).
- FIRST - ask for one or two people to define “stereotype.” Really just one or two - NOT a big discussion. THEN, name that stigma and stereotype are often used interchangeably, but stigma has a few distinct qualities. Quick definition. Provide a little explanation of the third point - we can take in these judgments and believe them about ourselves, even though they’re untrue. For example, if everyone tells me that having depression is just being lazy, it’s possible that I could start to believe that myself, that I’m just lazy and don’t need to seek support. Do a quick check to see if everyone gets it and is on board - again, not a big discussion, but a “thumbs up” check or see if they’re generally nodding
- 15 minutes into the workshop
- Can close this slide by naming that yes, stigma can be a huge negative aspect of our experience, but it’s not permanent. Through conversations like these, and by sharing our truths, we can change stigma, and reduce it, and ultimately, get rid of it entirely.
- 25 minutes into the workshop Introduce ways that AWI holds some concepts around MH - these may change over time, terms are evolving. Quick slide: We see mental health as an umbrella in that it is something that we are all existing under, and experiencing. Mental health can include many aspects of life. It’s our internal way of seeing the world, and something we all have and experience. Like physical health, we all have mental health, and things within and outside of ourselves can affect our mental health. Things outside of the MH umbrella, like culture, spirituality, physical health, support systems, etc. can affect our MH. There’s lots of intersectionality and influences when it comes to MH. There can be embedded and systemic influences (such as histories of oppression, privilege, access to services) and other components that influence the way we as individuals experience MH.
- MI and MW are concepts that fall under the umbrella of MH. MI can be defined as when uncontrollable things happening within you and/or influenced by other things get in the way of you living the life you want to live. This can arise from trauma or be circumstantial, and can also be influenced by genetics and biology. Mental illness diagnoses are helpful for some, and for others provide more of a shared language. MI may differ between how society defines it and how we define it for ourselves. MW means feeling “well” - however you define it - in your mind and spirit. It can include practices and behaviors that support you and help you feel and be your best self. Like physical health, it requires maintenance. We don’t hold these as opposites - you can have symptoms of a mental illness, and engage in mental wellness practices. You can also not have symptoms of a MI, but still not be mentally well, if you don’t have ways of supporting your internal (and external) self.
- Can close up this slide by saying yes, media portrayals are overall negative, but there are artists and filmmakers out there making films that can change this. Many of our films are made by people with lived experience, and share their genuine truths.
- 35 minutes into the workshop
- 50 minutes into the workshop
- ***CAN SKIP SLIDE IF RUNNING LOW ON TIME*** Ideally, you will be able to use this slide, as it can lead to a great discussion about stigma, and how different stigmas (and other factors) can keep people from seeking support. If you think you’re running out of time, try to prompt this question in the previous “thoughts / feelings” slide so it’s at least touched on, even if you don’t use this slide.
- 1 hour and 5 minutes into the workshop
- This slide is to give space to discussing the last film, but isn’t an in-depth thoughts/feelings slide. It should be a group conversation (not small groups), and just take a few people’s reactions to the film. Depending on time, you might need to move on quickly, but if you have time, feel free to let this be an open discussion about the film.
- From what we’ve learned - actions we may be drawn to take. Be sure to encourage responses that relate to what we can do as friends, family members, and community members of people with MI, AND ALSO make sure they address what we can do for ourselves, i.e. mental wellness practices.
- 1 hour and 20 minutes into the workshop “Now will invite our panelists to come up. We will hear from the students, sharing their personal stories. We’re so grateful for their courage in sharing their stories! We will also hear from resources on-campus and in the community. After the panelists all speak, you will have a chance to ask the panel any questions you have. If you need to leave early, please do so respectfully, and please make sure to fill out an evaluation before you leave. This information is super helpful for us in making sure we and your school are serving your needs as well as we can. We will also pass these out at the end of the workshop.” **Applause for panelists!** They will then speak in order of how they are in the slide. At the end, you will invite questions from the audience.
- 1 hour and 55 minutes into the workshop AWI exists to create a community of students, artists, advocates, who want to have these conversations...if you’re interested in staying in touch with us and becoming a part of a larger community of students across N. America who believe in the power of art to subvert stigma