"It's so easy to say nobody understands. And it might be true. But, we’re fighters, all of us who have dealt with depression... What has helped me a lot is not looking at the [big] picture, but having little things inspire me... I just think that’s beautiful, just little moments where you realize hope. And you see hope, and you see beauty in its raw form."
"Breaking Free" documentary participant
Adolescents are being diagnosed with depression and attempting suicide at alarming and increasing rates; a startling 60-80% of adolescents go undiagnosed and untreated.
BREAKING FREE is a national campaign targeted at addressing the growing incidence of depression and suicide amongst our most precious population: our youth, the fabric and the future of our country.
The GOALS of the Breaking Free campaign are simple: to raise awareness, to de-stigmatize, to educate, to empower and to make policy changes at the local, state and federal levels.
The Breaking Free campaign is comprised of:
- 3 DOCUMENTARIES: The Breaking Free documentary series is geared at educating adolescents and adults and making vocal and active participants of all viewers. In the first film, adolescents learn through first-hand accounts from adolescents, families and friends who are currently struggling directly and indirectly with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and suicide itself. The second film addresses parents and professionals specifically. The third piece will be geared for a national audience and will be designed for submissions to film festivals and a major cable/network television screening.
- ART & MUSIC EXHIBIT: Art as Therapy is a beautiful concept. The Breaking Free art and music exhibit takes this concept and explores what youth go through as they struggle with depression and suicide and is creating avenues to share and be heard. It is a collection of art and music that youth have created as a means of expression. The Exhibit remains open for additional submissions.
- WEBSPACE: We are building a dynamic web-presence that will provide a central space to learn about and interact with the multiple components of the national awareness campaign. The site will feature media, art exhibit submissions, and educational and resource materials about depression and suicide for teens and parents.
- EDUCATIONAL TOOLS: The Breaking Free documentaries will be accompanied by materials for educators, parents and clinicians. They will be a wide range of tools geared towards increasing the knowledge base helping to bridge the gap between understanding and action. In addition, we will be addressing the divide of treatment as related to minority communities, working to address and identifying cultural, religious and ethnic sensitivities when diagnosing and treating depression.
The CHALLENGES of the campaign are vast and will require the participation of many communities and their leaders dedicated to addressing this issue head on. The SUCCESS of this campaign will demand a commitment worthy of fighting generations of misdiagnosis and loss.
This integrated campaign is produced by: Two Rams With Support from Children’s Hospital Boston
GET INVOLVED
We are seeking celebrities to join the campaign, media partners to help distribute the documentary series and spread the word and artists to share their work related to suicide and depression. If you’re a celebrity, a media partner or an artist interested in supporting this campaign and getting involved, please contact:
Labid Aziz
labid@tworams.com
LEARN MORE
If you’re a clinician, an educator, a parent or an adolescent who would like to learn more about the work of the Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative at Children’s Hospital Boston, please contact:
Nadja Reilly, Ph.D.
617-919-3203
Nadja.Reilly@childrens.harvard.edu
