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In Case You Haven't Heard…
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
mental health weekly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7583
pISSN - 1058-1103
DOI - 10.1002/mhw.32782
Subject(s) - mental health , sister , globe , mainstream , nephew and niece , psychology , empathy , conversation , media studies , sociology , public relations , social psychology , psychiatry , political science , law , communication , neuroscience
Glenn Close, the Academy Award nominee and Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe winner, is busy shining the spotlight on mental health awareness, CNN reported April 22. At age 50, after years of struggling, Close's sister Jessie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Jessie's son, Calen Pick, was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder in 2001. In 2009, with her sister Jessie and nephew Calen, Close started Bring Change to Mind, a nonprofit that advocates for mental health awareness and support in schools and communities. With the aim of fostering understanding and empathy, the group creates multimedia campaigns and develops youth programs to encourage a diverse cultural conversation around mental health. Bring Change to Mind has created clubs in high schools across the country where students are empowered to talk about emotional and social issues and mental health concerns. The clubs provide a stigma‐free space where young people can talk about what they are dealing with and offer support to each other. “Especially now,” Close said of the COVID‐19 pandemic, “because our collective mental health is under such stress … it should be something that really connects us, this need to take care of our brains. It makes us human.”