The video was created by three undergraduate students at Western University: Sommer Knight, Vivila Liu and Monique Vanderhulst.  

“The purpose of our public service announcement (PSA) is to equip people with basic, but effective skills to provide immediate support to those in distress until professional help is given.

The video focuses on clinical depression because of the high prevalence of the disorder among youth and its rank as the leading cause of disability among ages 15 to 44. Since youth primarily confide with peers, as opposed to parents or other authority figures, the video was created to equip youth with the necessary skills to provide support to fellow peers.

The PSA focused on the action “listen non-judgmentally” because it is one of the five actions outlined in MHFA. The five basic MHFA actions are: assess the risk of suicide and/or harm, listen non-judgmentally, give reassurance and information, encourage professional help and encourage other supports (e.g., friends, family). By encouraging the audience to listen non-judgmentally, we hope to reduce critical responses towards those diagnosed and create a safe environment for peers to talk openly without judgment.”-Sommer Knight

Reference: Kitchener, B. A., Jorm, A. F., & Kelly, D. C. (2002). Mental health first aid manual. Canberra: Centre for Mental Health Research.

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