mtvU and The Jed Foundation Launch National Campaign to Prevent Student Suicides, Fight Mental Health Stigma on College Campuses

mtvU and The Jed Foundation Launch National Campaign to Prevent Student Suicides, Fight Mental Health Stigma on College Campuses

New mtvU Study Shows Seniors are Nearly Three Times More Likely than Freshmen to Have Considered Suicide

On-Air, Online and On Campus 'Half of Us' Campaign Addresses Reality that Suicide is the #2 Killer of College Students, Half Have Felt so Depressed they Could not Function

NEW YORK, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, in partnership with The Jed Foundation, the leading non-profit college suicide- prevention charity, today announced the launch of "Half of Us," a campaign to reduce the student suicide rate, fight the stigma of mental health on college campuses and connect students and their friends to the resources and help they need. The campaign takes its name from research* showing that nearly half of all college students have felt so depressed they could not function.

The launch of "Half of Us" is being marked by a powerful disruption of mtvU's programming, as the network's channel and website are both symbolically eclipsed by a gray haze -- reflecting that a large percentage of the college audience is overwhelmed and not sure where to turn. In fact, new mtvU research on the subject shows that nearly half (49%) of college students feel their peers wouldn't seek help for emotional issues because they aren't aware of resources for help or treatment.

In an effort to address this stark reality, today mtvU is also debuting several new PSAs on the topic, broadcasting commercial free, and launching HalfofUs.com, a comprehensive online resource center that informs and engages college students on mental health and is shaped by its users. The site will serve as a safe space for college students confronting emotional disorders or seeking help for a friend, offering school-specific and national resources, an anonymous screening tool for a range of emotional disorders as well as a wide range of interactive features.

mtvU recently conducted extensive research on how stress and depression are affecting college students nationwide, and today announced the findings of the 2006 "mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students." Top findings include:

- 1 in 5 college seniors say they have considered suicide, nearly triple
the number of college freshmen
- Sophomores are almost three times more likely to have a friend who has
considered suicide than their freshmen peers
- 77% of those surveyed wouldn't want their friends to know they were
seeking help for emotional issues and 54% think someone wouldn't seek
help for fear their friends or roommates would find out
- Nearly twice as many female students surveyed indicate they would seek
counseling for emotional issues than males
- Almost half (49%) of respondents said they would encourage a friend to
seek counseling for emotional issues, yet only 22% are likely to seek
the same help if it's needed

** Additional findings below **

"Stigma kills," said Stephen Friedman, GM, mtvU. "The alarming statistics speak for themselves, showing that college students are masking the toll stress and depression are having on their lives. We're offering up 'Half of Us' as a means to help our audience come to terms with the magnitude of this problem and confront it. We're proud to join with the Jed Foundation in this effort -- working to de-stigmatize mental health and reach those college students who need help most."

"A college student's suicide sends shockwaves through American families every day, and if we don't take aim at the root causes, this problem could continue to worsen," said Phil and Donna Satow, whose family founded The Jed Foundation. "We are deeply heartened that mtvU has undertaken this campaign, and we look forward to working with them to reduce the suicide rate among college and university students nationwide."

"It's long been understood there are insufficient resources to remedy the current college student mental health crisis, and we applaud mtvU for teaming with the Jed Foundation and stepping into the fold," said Dr. Richard Kadison, Chief of Mental Health Services, Harvard University. "Any efforts to help de-stigmatize mental health on campus or offer new tools are greatly welcome, and I'm pleased to see mtvU using its reach and influence to this end."

"Half of Us" will reach college students everywhere they are, through on-air, online and on campus elements, including:

On-Air

The campaign will launch with a series of PSAs that profile students who are dealing with emotional disorders. The spots will demonstrate that mental illness has a biological root and can reveal itself in many ways. The PSAs will air multiple times every day as part of mtvU's regular programming rotation. Additionally, mtvU will be integrating mental health messages and themes into its original programming on an ongoing basis, encouraging students to take time to check in with themselves and their friends, and speak up if they notice behavior that's out of character.

Online

HalfofUs.com is the hub of the campaign, connecting students to appropriate campus-specific and national resources and support, while encouraging them to realize they are not alone in needing help. In addition, the site will also host interactive tools that engage students and make the topic compelling, regardless of any personal connection to the issue. Components include:

- Self-evaluator screening tool, an anonymous, online screener --
developed by the Duke University Medical Center -- for multiple
emotional disorders that customizes feedback based on the user's school
and available resources.
- Action center, enabling students to get involved in mental health
awareness on their campus or in their community, learn where their
representatives stand on mental health legislation, start an Active
Minds student advocacy chapter and more.
- Faces, a collection of user-generated student photos, each making a
different face on camera to represent their mood.
- Music video gifting, enabling students to send videos to one another
through mtvU.com, to cheer someone up or forge a connection.
- Real time polls of college student perceptions about their feelings,
behaviors and moods, and of mental health in general.

On Campus

Throughout the coming year, mtvU and student partner groups will reach out and provide information directly to students, at a wide range of mtvU campus events across the country.

What follows are abridged findings from the 2006 "mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students." A full executive summary of the report's findings are available here: www.halfofus.com/about.aspx.

I. Pressure/stress build considerably throughout college, with dramatic
jumps between the freshman and sophomore years, and juniors and seniors
reporting alarming levels of stress, depression and suicidal thoughts

- 1 in 5 college seniors say they have considered suicide, compared to
8% of college freshmen
-- 65% of seniors say they have a friend who has "been stressed to a
point where they've withdrawn from others" compared to only 25% of
freshmen

- The number of college students reporting they have a friend who has
considered suicide nearly triples between freshman and sophomore
years (10% to 28%)
-- Additionally, the number of students who have personally:
- "felt so overwhelmed that they were unsure how to pull out of
it" more than doubles (27% of freshmen to 58% of sophomores)
- suffered from some kind of depression more than triples (16%
of freshmen to 49% of sophomores)

- Stress levels appear to peak in Junior year with nearly two thirds
(63%) of juniors either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they "feel
the pressure to handle more and more stress"

II. Mental health is highly stigmatized on college campuses, which
prevents students from getting help

- 77% of those surveyed wouldn't want their friends to know they were
seeking help for emotional issues and 54% felt their peers wouldn't
seek help because of fear their friends or roommates would find out

- Embarrassment is the #1 reason why students say someone might not
choose to seek help (72% of those surveyed)
-- "Think the issue would go away by itself" and "don't think it
would help" are the next two most popular reasons not to seek
help, selected by 69% of those surveyed

- Almost half of respondents (49%) said they would encourage a friend
to seek counseling for emotional issues, yet only 22% report they
are likely to seek the same help if it's needed

- Roughly half (49%) of those surveyed felt someone wouldn't seek help
because they are unaware of resources for help/treatment

III. Females consistently report finding college more stressful than males
-- and are more likely to get help or recommend their friends seek
help for emotional issues

- 46% of female respondents agreed/strongly agreed with the statement
"college is more stressful than I expected," compared to just 26%
of males

- 63% of female college students agree they "feel the pressure to
handle more and more stress" vs. 44% of males

- Nearly twice as many female students surveyed indicate they would
seek counseling for emotional issues than males (28% of females vs.
15% of males)
-- 69% of males say the are unlikely/not at all likely to go to
counseling
- Females are also more prone to recommend their friends seek help,
with 57% saying they are likely to "encourage a friend to seek out
help, e.g. counseling" if he/she was feeling overwhelmed or having
emotional issues, compared to 40% of males

IV. While students may not be seeking the help they need, they are turning
to relatively healthy coping devices when stressed, including music
and sleep, friends and family

- Listening to music (79%) and sleep (73%) are the top 2 ways college
students say they "deal when overwhelmed with stress or pressures in
their life"
-- After music and sleep, guys turn to working out or playing sports
(56%) and video games (50%), where females opt for getting
organized (52%)

- A third of all students say that they drink alcohol as a coping
mechanism

- Once college students have decided to seek help for emotional
issues, friends are the #1 resource they say they would turn to,
with 69% reporting they'd be likely/very likely to start with
friends
-- Family are next in line, with 63% responding they'd be
likely/very likely turn to family members
-- School counseling (21%), resident advisors (12%) and hotlines
(7%) are among the resources college students are least likely to
turn to
-- 17% of students surveyed report having sought some form of
counseling or therapy, with a wide variation between the classes
(seniors 25%; sophomores 18%; freshmen 7%)

Research Methodology:

From October 18 through October 30, 2006 a total of 503 Internet interviews were conducted with fulltime college students, ages 18-24. All interviews were conducted through the use of FGI Research's SmartPanel. Panelists were sampled to reflect a cross section of the U.S. undergraduate population with attention to balancing gender, geography and ethnicity/race. An effort was made to have a near equal distribution from each college class.

* American College Health Association, National College Health Assessment, fall 2005.

About mtvU

Broadcasting to 750 colleges across the country, with a combined enrollment of over seven million, mtvU is the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are, through a three pronged approach -- on-air, online and on campus. mtvU focuses on content including music videos from emerging artists which can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features, events and pro-social initiatives. mtvU is always on campus, with more than 300 events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and for a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com.

mtvU.com makes mtvU the first MTV Networks channel distributed in its entirety via broadband, streaming 24/7 and on demand, featuring all of mtvU plus exclusive new music, original series and student-produced programming for college students and music fans everywhere.

mtvU also owns and operates Y2M, parent company of College Publisher -- the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the US. The network comprises 500 campus publications that serve institutions including Brown University, the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University, with a combined enrollment of over five million students and a subscriber base of 2.1 million.

MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA)(NYSE:VIA.B), is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. MTV Networks, with more than 120 channels worldwide, owns and operates the following television programming services - MTV: MUSIC TELEVISION, MTV2, VH1, mtvU, NICKELODEON, NICK at NITE, COMEDY CENTRAL, TV LAND, SPIKE TV, CMT, NOGGIN, VH1 CLASSIC, LOGO, MTVN INTERNATIONAL and THE DIGITAL SUITE FROM MTV NETWORKS, a package of 13 digital services, with all of these networks trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV Networks connects with its audiences through its robust consumer products businesses and its more than 100 interactive properties worldwide, including online, broadband, wireless and interactive television services and also has licensing agreements, joint ventures, and syndication deals whereby all of its programming services can be seen worldwide.

Source: mtvU

CONTACT: Jason Rzepka, mtvU, +1-212-654-9198, jason.rzepka@mtvstaff.com;
David French, MTV/MTV2/mtvU, +1-310-752-8110, david.french@mtvstaff.com

Web site: http://www.mtv.com/
http://www.mtvu.com/
http://halfofus.com/
http://www.halfofus.com/about.aspx

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