The past two years have damaged the mental health of millions of Americans. Data shows women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color are feeling this impact particularly acutely. An increasing number of people are reporting symptoms of anxiety and depression. Overdoses in the United States have hit record highs but counterintuitively, suicides actually went down a bit in 2020. And while the mental health care system is overwhelmed with patients seeking help, professional care remains inaccessible to many across the country.
For Mental Health Awareness Month, The 19th and State of Mind, a project of Slate magazine and Arizona State University, will host practical and frank conversations about the mental health crisis facing the United States. We’ll talk to practitioners about how people can prioritize their own mental health, examine bipartisan legislation seeking to address the crisis, and explore dealing with grief — something so many are working through after two years of significant loss.
Speakers
Senator Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) is a Democrat representing Wisconsin, a position she has held since 2013. Before serving in the Senate, she was the U.S. Representative of Wisconsin’s 2nd District. In 2019, Sen. Baldwin co-sponsored the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act to create a three-digit number for Americans in crisis. It passed in Congress and became law in 2020. The 988 dialing code will become available nationally in July.
Torie Bosch (@TheKiBosch) is the editor of State of Mind, a partnership of Slate and Arizona State University that covers mental health. Bosch is also editor of Future Tense, a partnership of Slate, Arizona State University, and New America that explores the intersection of technology, science, policy, and society.
Dr. Joy Harden Bradford (@HelloDrJoy) is a licensed psychologist. She’s the host of the mental health podcast, Therapy for Black Girls. Her work focuses on making mental health topics more accessible for Black women, and she uses pop culture to illustrate psychological concepts.
Dr. Kristen L. Eckstrand is a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist. They’re also assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Eckstrand has published four textbooks and several peer-reviewed papers on the health needs of LGBTQ+ communities.
Rebecca Soffer (@RebeccaSoffer) is cofounder of Modern Loss, a global movement offering creative, meaningful, and practical content and community addressing the long arc of grief. She is also author of “The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience” and co-author of “Modern Loss: Candid Conversation about Grief. Beginners Welcome.”
Leslie Gray Streeter (@LeslieStreeter) is the author of “Black Widow,” a memoir about love, loss, grief and healing. She is a journalist, speaker, grief advocate and lifestyle columnist for the Baltimore Banner.
Amanda Becker (@AmandaBecker) is The 19th’s Washington correspondent.
Jayo Miko Macasaquit (@JayoMiko) is The 19th’s Chief People Officer.
Schedule
Welcome | 1 p.m. ET
- Amanda Zamora, Publisher, The 19th
Sponsor Remarks From PhRMA
- Anne McDonald Pritchett, PhD, Senior Vice President, Policy and Research, PhRMA
1:10 p.m. ET
Therapy 101 and Prioritizing Mental Health
- Dr. Kristen L. Eckstrand, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh
- Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, Podcast Host, Therapy for Black Girls
- Moderator: Jayo Miko Macasaquit, Chief People Officer, The 19th
1:40 p.m. ET
Mental Health Policy
- Senator Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin
- Moderator: Amanda Becker, Washington Correspondent, The 19th
2:10 p.m. ET
Dealing With Grief
- Rebecca Soffer, Author, “The Modern Loss Handbook: An Interactive Guide to Moving Through Grief and Building Your Resilience”
- Leslie Gray Streeter, Author, “Black Widow”
- Moderator: Torie Bosch, State of Mind