Shattering the Silence Surrounding Suicide

WOMAN.ca's Katia Tallarico attended The Jed Foundation's 8th Annual Gala last Thursday, honouring two standout individuals who have helped shatter the silence around mental health and suicide. 

The Voice of Mental Health Award was presented to the musician and entrepreneur, Pete Wentz and the Media Award was presented to the President of HBO Documentary Films, Sheila Nevins. The lively dinner and awards ceremony gala was held at Guastavino’s in Manhattan. 

After the loss of their son Jed, Donna and Phil Satow discovered the urgent need for programming and resources to help colleigate institutions, students and parents recognize and address the signs of emotional distress and suicide. The Jed Foundation recognizes emotional problems as a significant impediment to college success; tragically, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college students.

Guest speakers included the President of New York University, John Sexton, whose university unfortunately carries the infamous reputation of ‘suicide capital.’  Sexton shared his experience in 2003 when four of his students committed suicide within 3 months; deaths that could have been avoided as, “suicide is preventable because we have treatments for emotional problems that work.”  The trouble lies in the stigma surrounding emotional disorders and the fear or embarrassment in seeking help.  In addition, there is a need to increase understanding of the warning signs of suicide and the symptoms of emotional disorders and to build awareness of the prevalence of suicide among all college students.  

Accepting his award, Pete Wentz encouraged young people suffering from emotional distress to speak out because, “You are not weird or abnormal.”   In his Public Service Announcement for the Jed Foundation and mtvU’s (MTV’s college network) Half of Us campaign, Wentz shares openly and honestly his struggle with depression and anxiety and how he came to realize that, “there are other people feeling similar feelings and you are not alone.”  His story received tremendous response, inspiring others with similar struggles.

Boy Interrupted, the new HBO Documentary Films release tells a poignant human story related to mental illness and suicide.  In her acceptance speech, Sheila Nevins read a touching poem she wrote for the film’s producer and director, Dana Perry, who was part of the audience.  Dana’s 15-year-old son, Evan, jumped to his death from his New York City bedroom window. The documentary tells of his struggle with the complex bipolar disorder and the family’s loss and grief.  Nevins said, “I know what it’s like to feel scared for a kid, but I don’t know what it’s like to lose a kid.”  She accepted the award and praised the audience for breathing life into a foundation that will help other children and help parents cope with the realities of mental illness.

The evening honored contributions to the national dialogue on mental health in America, including the Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award presented to Adam Taylor (www.projectlight.info). Guests enjoyed featured musical entertainment by The Bacon Brothers, including singer/actor Kevin Bacon, and helped raise over one million dollars to support the foundation.  The Jed Foundation’s programs are changing the way parents and students think about mental health - paving the way for more young people to get treatment if needed, and helping colleges create safer, healthier campus communities.  To learn more about the foundation, make a donation or if you or someone you know is suffering from emotional distress, visit The Jed Foundation for information and resources.

By Katia Tallarico

Katia Tallarico, Relationships 2.0
		About the author:
		Katia Aurora Tallarico, born and raised in Toronto, currently lives in Manhattan. As an undergraduate at McGill University, she lived in Montreal where she studied Psychology and later pursued a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology at Columbia University in New York City. Katia integrates both Western and Eastern approaches to her mental health practice and credits her own well-being to a dedicated meditation and yoga practice. She has worked servicing chronically mentally ill adults in lower Manhattan and currently works as a Mental Health Counselor with foster children in the South Bronx. In addition, Katia is an active supporter and Young Benefactor Committee member of Free Arts NYC (www.freeartsnyc.org).
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