A.S.K. Initiative: Empowering Youth with Evidence-Based Mental Health Support
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios, in collaboration with Active Minds, a prominent mental health organization for youth and young adults, has unveiled an innovative interactive video on YouTube. This video adopts a choose-your-own-adventure format to introduce a novel approach to emotional support called A.S.K. – Acknowledge, Support, and Keep-in-Touch. The initiative aims to address the significant number of young individuals who feel unprepared to assist a friend in emotional distress, leveraging the digital platform where young people frequently engage. To experience the A.S.K. digital journey, please click here.
Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact at SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios, highlighted the importance of meeting young people in their online environment, recognizing that most adolescents spend considerable time on screens daily. The A.S.K. digital experience, launched in anticipation of the 4th annual Mental Health Action Day on May 16th, endeavors to equip youth with practical skills to support their peers.
Active Minds' Founder and Executive Director, Alison Malmon, emphasized the evolving discourse around mental health among youth and young adults, underscoring A.S.K. as a straightforward yet impactful method for aiding those in need. With a network spanning over 1,000 schools and campuses nationwide, Active Minds is committed to empowering youth as advocates for mental health. The introduction of the A.S.K. interactive YouTube program and digital platform is poised to inform and engage young individuals in leading positive change.
This digital initiative marks the latest endeavor of SHOWTIME/MTV's Mental Health is Health Initiative, aimed at fostering supportive environments for youth mental health. Through an immersive choose-your-own-adventure narrative on YouTube, users immerse themselves in the role of Charlie, who encounters a friend named Luna at a local coffee shop. As users navigate Charlie's interactions and decisions, they practice employing A.S.K. – a modern framework for aiding friends through emotional challenges. By offering a simple yet effective tool for individuals to support one another, SHOWTIME/MTV and Active Minds aspire to promote resilience and empathy in navigating life's emotional complexities.
"Video is an incredibly effective format for sharing mental health information in engaging, digestible, and emotionally supportive ways,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Global Head of YouTube Health. “YouTube Health is happy to partner with MTV and Active Minds to reach young people with important mental health resources and support mental health storytelling online."
Concurrently with the debut of the A.S.K. digital experience, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios has forged a collaboration with Active Minds and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Health Communication. Together, they aim to investigate the potential of social media content in educating young people on offering emotional support.
This research initiative will experiment with methods to increase the number of youths who feel empowered to assist their friends while also establishing guidelines for disseminating evidence-based mental health information to digital influencers with substantial followings. Ultimately, this endeavor will culminate in the development of a Creator Guide, utilizing proven frameworks such as A.S.K. to aid young individuals in supporting their peers.
Matt Motta, a member of the Harvard Chan School Center for Health Communication research team and professor at Boston University School of Public Health, expresses enthusiasm for collaborating with A.S.K. in conducting a comprehensive randomized controlled trial survey research. He anticipates that insights gleaned from this endeavor will shed light on the efficacy of exposure to social media content featuring evidence-based mental health information in bolstering young people's comfort and proficiency in providing emotional support to their friends.
Since its launch at the VMAs last September, A.S.K. has facilitated connections among young individuals nationwide. It has made appearances on over 50 college campuses, including engagements such as the "We Are Made to Connect Campus Tour" with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, events like New York Comic Con with RuPaul’s Drag Race, Detroit Pistons games, the White House Easter Egg Roll, and high-profile occasions like Art Basel Miami Beach, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA Final Four Tip Off Tailgate.
Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact at SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios, highlighted the importance of meeting young people in their online environment, recognizing that most adolescents spend considerable time on screens daily. The A.S.K. digital experience, launched in anticipation of the 4th annual Mental Health Action Day on May 16th, endeavors to equip youth with practical skills to support their peers.
Active Minds' Founder and Executive Director, Alison Malmon, emphasized the evolving discourse around mental health among youth and young adults, underscoring A.S.K. as a straightforward yet impactful method for aiding those in need. With a network spanning over 1,000 schools and campuses nationwide, Active Minds is committed to empowering youth as advocates for mental health. The introduction of the A.S.K. interactive YouTube program and digital platform is poised to inform and engage young individuals in leading positive change.
This digital initiative marks the latest endeavor of SHOWTIME/MTV's Mental Health is Health Initiative, aimed at fostering supportive environments for youth mental health. Through an immersive choose-your-own-adventure narrative on YouTube, users immerse themselves in the role of Charlie, who encounters a friend named Luna at a local coffee shop. As users navigate Charlie's interactions and decisions, they practice employing A.S.K. – a modern framework for aiding friends through emotional challenges. By offering a simple yet effective tool for individuals to support one another, SHOWTIME/MTV and Active Minds aspire to promote resilience and empathy in navigating life's emotional complexities.
"Video is an incredibly effective format for sharing mental health information in engaging, digestible, and emotionally supportive ways,” said Dr. Garth Graham, Global Head of YouTube Health. “YouTube Health is happy to partner with MTV and Active Minds to reach young people with important mental health resources and support mental health storytelling online."
Concurrently with the debut of the A.S.K. digital experience, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios has forged a collaboration with Active Minds and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s Center for Health Communication. Together, they aim to investigate the potential of social media content in educating young people on offering emotional support.
This research initiative will experiment with methods to increase the number of youths who feel empowered to assist their friends while also establishing guidelines for disseminating evidence-based mental health information to digital influencers with substantial followings. Ultimately, this endeavor will culminate in the development of a Creator Guide, utilizing proven frameworks such as A.S.K. to aid young individuals in supporting their peers.
Matt Motta, a member of the Harvard Chan School Center for Health Communication research team and professor at Boston University School of Public Health, expresses enthusiasm for collaborating with A.S.K. in conducting a comprehensive randomized controlled trial survey research. He anticipates that insights gleaned from this endeavor will shed light on the efficacy of exposure to social media content featuring evidence-based mental health information in bolstering young people's comfort and proficiency in providing emotional support to their friends.
Since its launch at the VMAs last September, A.S.K. has facilitated connections among young individuals nationwide. It has made appearances on over 50 college campuses, including engagements such as the "We Are Made to Connect Campus Tour" with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, events like New York Comic Con with RuPaul’s Drag Race, Detroit Pistons games, the White House Easter Egg Roll, and high-profile occasions like Art Basel Miami Beach, the Super Bowl, and the NCAA Final Four Tip Off Tailgate.
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