Events

In the midst of the national youth mental health crisis, parents, educators and policymakers are concerned about the role social media plays in contributing to this issue. Vicki Harrison, Director of Programs, shared her thoughts on how youth mental health advocates can continue to center youth voice in efforts to create healthier social media experiences.

How we talk about suicide matters and can help reduce stigma and prevent suicide. TEMPOS (tool for evaluating media portrayals of suicide) allows media professionals, public health officials, researchers and suicide prevention experts to assess adherence to the recommended reporting guidelines with a standardized rating scale.

Youth mental health is being framed as a crisis across the US. Is it possible for reporters to cover what’s working to address this public health concern while also ensuring they don’t cause further harm? Solutions Journalism Network has teamed up with the Stanford CYMHW’s Media and Mental Health Initiative to share the evidence-based tool TEMPOS.

Former editors of the Stanford Daily presented their Reporting Responsibly on Campus Suicide (RROCS) to high school journalists during an all-day media conference. The RROCS team helped student journalists develop stronger reporting skills around mental health topics and better support youth wellness in their communities.

Vicki Harrison participates in a panel discussion that examines the effects of news and social media on the mental health of individuals, the stigmatization and public awareness of mental illness, and initiatives that help individuals navigate mental health in a digital world and mobilize media for positive change.

Featured Plenary: “Portrayals of Suicide in the Media”

Panel Discussion with our MMHI team and Sheila Nevins, Executive Producer at MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+ on the challenges and lessons learned in producing a major network documentary, “Each and Every Day,” and the impact of suicide and mental health in popular media on youth mental health.

Workshop: “Innovative Approaches for Collaborating with the News Media to Prevent Suicide Contagion” Our TEMPOS team facilitated a workshop on TEMPOS and innovative methods of working with journalists to improve media messaging on suicide.

Program Director, Vicki Harrison, served as an expert panelist on Oct 6, 2021 for a Children and Screens Ask The Experts webinar. An interdisciplinary panel of experts discussed the physical, mental, and social impacts of COVID-19 for young people. Panelists discussed support in the next phase of the pandemic, virtual learning, and the need for media literacy.

Vicki Harrison, Program Director for Stanford Psychiatry's Center for Youth Mental Health & Wellbeing presents #GoodforMEdia the peer-mentoring platform designed and developed at Stanford with young people 16-25.

Victor Schwartz speaks at the International Center for Journalists about the importance of safe reporting of suicide. “Everything that is the natural impulse of a journalist in writing a good story is problematic when reporting on suicide. The media guidelines are meant to direct writers...so the audience does not identify with events of the story or with the person.”