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Selena Gomez has long been a champion for mental health awareness. After revealing her Bipolar diagnosis and it challenges in 2020, the “Selfish Love” artist has joined with Rare Beauty to launch “Mental Health 101”, a campaign designed for young people.
On Instagram, Gomez introduced the new initiative by speaking on her own experience with mental illness.
“I know first hand how scary and lonely it can feel to face anxiety and depression by yourself at a young age,” the singer wrote. “If I had learned about my mental health earlier on—been taught about my condition in school the way I was taught about other subjects—my journey could have looked very different.”
She continued, “The world needs to know that mental health matters. It’s just as important as your physical health, and I wish we could all acknowledge that, not just in words but through our actions.”
The campaign launched to Rare Beauty’s namesake philanthropy platform, Rare Impact, is raising funds to increase access to mental health services like social and emotional learning, mental health trainings for educators and school professionals, and suicide prevention and crisis response services.
While the push is localised to North America, it is hoped other countries will follow suit in widening the conversation and abolishing the stigma attached to mental illnesses. According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the Gen Z community, and yet only 16% of all children receive mental health assistance in school. The numbers are staggering but in a past interview Gomez noted it should not be normal.
“It’s not easy for anyone to be walking through what we’re walking through. It’s not normal, and it’s affecting people, specifically with mental health, and people who could have never thought about things they’re thinking about now. And it’s really confusing,” she said during a WarnerMedia’s virtual Television Critics Association press tour.
Let’s talk about more of this please!
