Spending 12 hours grinding out umbral shards in the new Barnacles and Black Powder expedition may be a swell time, but it’s always good to have a mental health check-in once you start forgetting what the outside looks like.
Mental Health is the Leading Health Issue for Gen Z
In all seriousness, mental health awareness is a very big issue these days, especially for Gen Z.
According to the CDC, emergency room visits by adolescents rose sharply for anxiety and self-harm over the past few years. And the peaks in 2019 don’t even speak to further isolation caused by pandemic lockdowns and school closures over the last two.
Specifically, Twitch streamers like Sooshi have publicly talked about their mental health challenges,
“I don’t like talking to people face to face, it’s been so long since I’ve done it… Quite early on after going [streaming] full-time I noticed it having an effect on me,” she says. “I wasn’t really going out anymore, I don’t think I went outside for that first year – maybe to the shop at a push.”
Mega streamer Jacksepticeye did a full half hour special on mental health needs with his therapist.
Raising Awareness for Mental Health with Heart of a Champion
The Heart of a Champion campaign, sponsored by the Global Gift Foundation, aims to put a spotlight on these issues and remove the stigmas.
Shazam’s Zach Levy, an honorary chairperson, grammed about the campaign:
“Hey y’all! I’ve teamed up with the great people at @globalgiftusa to create a movement to help end mental health stigma and raise vital funds. Heart of a Champion is a unique fundraiser that unites gamers, streamers, content creators and celebrities for some unforgettable game-playing action! I invite YOU to take part! HOWWW? Visit @globalgiftusa & click the link in their bio to REGISTER, create your fundraising page and help raise funds. Then stream yourself playing a game of your choice to change a life. Can’t take part? Please consider donating to help us reach our fundraising goal.”
I got a chance to speak with Patricia Eadie, VP of the Global Gift Foundation about HoaC.
Dr. L: Why a foray into gaming now?
PE: Our foundation really had catered to an older demographic traditionally. We do women’s empowerment & galas. We wanted to engage a younger audience.
We’ve organized lots of black tie Galas & live auctions. We’ve been looking to move into virtual events – but they didn’t resonate with the gala crowd. So, we wanted to do something that gave back to the community – and this inspired Heart of a Champion.
Dr. L: What’s the duration of the campaign, and where will the funds go?
PE: We launched in July and will continue raising funds through the end of November. A portion of proceeds will go to Active Minds.
From the official press release:
Global Gift Foundation USA is excited to announce a unique peer-to-peer fundraising initiative, Heart of a Champion. Beginning June 28 and lasting through November 30, 2022, this special gaming campaign features celebrity “Champions” such as Honorary Chair Zachary Levi (Actor, Shazam), Eva Longoria (Actress, Producer, Director, Activist, Philanthropist), Amaury Nolasco (Actor, Hightown), Jason Canela (Actor, Always Be My Maybe) and many more who have joined forces with the gaming community to raise funds to end the stigma of mental health. A first of its kind for Global Gift Foundation USA (GGF USA), this epic grassroots fundraising event works by uniting celebrities and well-known personalities with the philanthropic gaming and streaming communities to raise funds for mental health awareness for kids, teens and young adults who are struggling with mental illness. In addition, GGF USA will support like-minded charitable organizations such as Active Minds by providing a portion of the funds raised to support their programs. Mental Illness is treatable, and suicide is preventable; providing funding for programs is potentially lifesaving.
