Active Minds

Active Minds

Active Minds is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting mental health, especially among young adults, via peer-to-peer dialogue and interaction. Active Minds was founded by Alison Malmon in 2003, after her older brother died by suicide in 2000. Alison recognized that Brian’s story is the story of thousands of young people who suffer in silence; who, despite their large numbers, think they are totally alone. A majority of mental health issues start between ages fourteen and twenty-four, when teens and young adults are in school, and suicide is the second leading cause for youth and young adults.In addition to 600 national chapters empowering passionate student advocates, Active Minds’ programs include Send Silence Packing®, an award-winning suicide prevention exhibit; Active Minds Speakers, a curated group of professional storytellers and presenters who provide encouraging and safe mental health education for students and other audiences; the Healthy Campus Award, which honors colleges that are prioritizing student health and well-being; and Active Minds @Work, which works to build a mental health culture in the workplace.The Active Minds message, amplified by thousands of young adults each year, is that "...mental health needs to be talked about as easily as physical health. Only then can we bring suicide and mental health into the open so no one struggles alone."

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