Article by: Annie Pei Photos by: Simrah Ahmad Teenagers are often overwhelmed by all kinds of uncontrollable emotions. Active Minds is an organization that helps to raise awareness about depression and offer resources to those who are struggling. An organization like Active Minds serves as the light to many students lost in the darkness within mental health. In a society where mental health is a sensitive topic, people often avoid discussing and educating themselves on the matter. Because the topic is never talked about, many believe they are suffering alone or in shame, thus driving them further from help. This lack of discussion causes many suffering students to make fatal decisions. Alison K. Malmon, the founder of Active Minds, has personal experience as she lost her only brother to depression. On March 24, 2000, Malmon’s brother ended his life during her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania. “After my brother’s death, and knowing how preventable it was, I resolved — no matter what — to do something to change the way we approach mental health in this country,” Mamon said on the Active Minds website, activeminds.org. Mamon decided to bring out the silenced voices of those who think they are suffering alone by offering Active Minds as a platform for those who are current or past victims of a mental health disorder. Severe mental illnesses often appear between ages 14 to 24; thus Active Minds focuses on students between these ages. In hopes of eradicating the existing stigma surrounding mental illnesses, Active Minds provides a safe haven for students around the country. For example, some campuses working with Active Minds have sent out silent packages. People around the country can volunteer to write an encouraging note for people to reach out to the resources around them. At each mail stop for these notes, trained professionals are available to distribute appropriate mental health resources. To provide directly for students, Active Minds partners with over 800 colleges and high schools across the country. These schools have a network of students to represent Active Minds and offer support to others on campus. “We write an annual report and send it to the Active Minds headquarters. During COVID, Active Minds reached out to us and offered advice to help the student body on campus,” says Andrej Klema, an Active Minds Head at Groton School in Massachusetts. On campus, Klema claims that the organization acts as a support group to point out the available resources for those in need. “The most outstanding quality of Active Minds is its nation-wide support system which forms a community beyond one campus,” Klema said . Mental health disorders have been surrounded by a negative connotation for decades, putting on an invisible blame on those who suffer disorders. An organization like Active Minds is striving to change the public tide and provide a safe haven for victims of mental illnesses. Layout by: Krisha Konchadi
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