For my Advocacy Project I am going to partner with the Global Mental Health Program of Columbia University. Towards the end of my blog post you will find a link to their website. This same link will also feature a link to an advocacy piece they have conducted. Their advocacy piece specifically focuses on masculinity, toxic masculinity, and how men can improve their behavior. The Global Mental Health Program of Columbia University helps tackle issues related to mental health in three main ways: education, training, and research. Mental health has been coming up more and more as people start seeing it as an issue worth talking about. Further, as suicide rates continue to jump upwards, mental health controversy has been on the rise. Media and film are also paying attention to mental health, as shows like 13 Reasons Why are appearing on Netflix and other mediums. Without enabling people to speak up about how they are feeling, mental health issues will continue to leave families and communities devastated. More people are giving their attention to mental health and the various ways in which we can better support across the world.
As a university, Columbia stands as one of many educational institutions which are trying to help solve mental health problems. Their platform is not entirely unique, in that many other groups are attacking the issue from a research perspective. However, their audience is certainly focused towards people who are struggling with mental health problems. In addition, young adults or college students who fall under the same label are of particular emphasis when it comes to the audience.
Some constraints that they may face are certainly posed by the issue of mental health itself. There is only so much you can do for a person who is depressed and there are only so many resources you can supply them with. That being said, research and education almost always have a positive effect no matter how difficult of a problem there is at hand. Other constraints are posed by the funding limitations of mental health research and resources. Without proper funding, advocacy campaigns such as this one are only capable of making change in small capacities.
https://www.cugmhp.org/2019/01/18/masculinitytoxicmasculinitythebestmencanget/