Student filmmakers battle mental health stigma

A detrimental struggle of those with mental health issues is that they often feel as though they are alone in their experiences. All too often, people are made to believe they are the only ones feeling the way they do. In reality, mental health struggles are a much more common experience than some can expect — yet they continue to be stigmatized and under-discussed.

To combat the rising crisis of mental health problems nationwide, the Directing Change Program created a contest to inspire students to become knowledgeable about mental health and support students facing stigma resulting from mental health challenges.

The Directing Change Program recently announced the winners of their student film contest on mental health and suicide prevention topics. Students from Burlingame High School and The Bayshore School are a few of many finalists recognized for their short films surrounding mental health resources.

Directing Change is part of a statewide initiative to promote the mental health wellness of students and normalize the struggles they may face. The Mental Health Services Act funded this initiative in an effort to advance California’s behavioral health system to address the needs of those struggling with mental health properly.

Making students the face of this initiative encourages those most vulnerable to reach out for help when they need it. Students from across the state were eager to participate in the contest to bring light to the mental health issues important to them.

Through the contest, students had the option to submit their short films in one of six categories, including “Walk in our Shows,” “Suicide Prevention,” and “Through the Lens of Culture.”

This annual opportunity created an outlet in which students could apply their creativity to a meaningful cause that impacts those from all walks of life. Burlingame High School students Finn Lorian and Anna Peters created a piece that was successful statewide as they won second place in the competition for their film titled “Be The Change.”

Their 60-second short film detailed a student struggling with mental health issues alone but, with support from their friend and access to resources and a counselor, they were able to get the help they needed.

“As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I think that the film was my own way of saying that people going through things want to feel cared for. Sometimes it’s hard for individuals to ask for help, and they need a bit of assistance from the people they care about, like their friends,” Lorian said.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 6 U.S. children aged from 6 to 10 experience a mental health disorder each year, which can have numerous dangerous effects on students at the height of their development.

Whether it stems from stress, trauma or genetics, mental health struggles in high school can also have a ripple effect, ultimately affecting students in a multitude of ways. According to the suicide prevention resource center, “Mental health problems can affect a student’s energy level, concentration, dependability, mental ability and optimism, hindering performance.”

Through the Directing Change Film Contest and the participation of thousands of students statewide, the complicated variations of mental health issues are being brought to light in a meaningful way.

“The Directing Change Program is a really great initiative,” Lorian said. “I think now more than ever students need to normalize conversations about mental health and creating an outlet for young people to express their struggles and ideas for change is a really great way to bring positive outcomes.”

Isabelle Nunes is a senior at Carlmont High School in Belmont. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.