There’s an elephant in the room, but this time we’re talking about it.
Students at Jasper Junior/Senior High School launched an anti-stigma campaign this week to raise awareness about mental health.
Organized by the school’s support group, the campaign, cleverly dubbed “The Elephant in the Room,” coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs May 4-10.
“It’s definitely going to show teens that they don’t have to be afraid of something they have—that there are people out there that understand what they are going through,” said Cailyn Sherlow, a Grade 10 student and member of the school’s support group.
“Even if it isn’t mental health, if you have a problem you can always find help,” said Ashton Hefner, a Grade 11 student.
Launched by the Mood Disorder Society of Canada (MDSC), the national campaign has been replicated by more than a dozen schools, universities and organizations across the country.
Anna DeClercq, a youth and teen outreach worker with Community Outreach Services, said the group looked at other campaigns before deciding to put their own spin on it.
Rather than using posters provided by MDSC, students cut out their own neon-coloured elephant shapes and labeled them with words, such as anxiety, depression and suicide. The elephants were then placed, trunk to tail, along the hallways of the school.
In additional to the posters, the peer support group also bought 25 small, blue elephants, thanks to a $250 donation from the J9 Sparkle Run held in April.
The squishy toy elephants were given to 20 adults in the community that were nominated by students. The remaining elephants were given to members from the peer support group.
“When you display your elephant you show that you care about the wellness of others and demonstrate that this is a safe place to talk about mental health issues without fear of being viewed differently,” explained DeClercq.
“Whether people talk or not we want people to go around and say ‘oh yeah, I identify with that and it’s OK to have challenges.’”
On May 5, students were also given the chance to discretely write their “elephant” on an egg filled with paint. They then smashed the egg against a canvas, creating a piece of art.
On Thursday afternoon, the students also organized a wellness fair to showcase the different resources available in the community.
“Personally, I’m hoping this helps teenagers not only to realize that there are other places to talk, but that adults and parents also realize that they are considered safe to talk to,” said Grade 10 student Gabby Guignard.
To learn more about the Elephant in the Room campaign, visit www.mooddisorderscanada.ca.
Paul Clarke
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