MTV Entertainment Studios to host Mental Health Action Day event featuring Vice President Kamala Harris

NEW YORK, April 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV Entertainment Studios (MTVE) today announced it will host a mental health event featuring Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) in Carson, California. This is the second event MTVE has hosted in collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration to mark Mental Health Action Day, an open-source global movement spearheaded by MTVE to shift culture from awareness to action. This year, nearly 2,000 nonprofit organizations, brands, government agencies and cultural leaders around the world will participate in amplifying mental health actions in their communities.

At the event, Vice President Harris will be joined by a to-be-announced celebrity guest and youth leaders who are experienced in supporting their peers through mental health challenges.

The event, which is part of MTVE's Mental Health is Health initiative, aims to empower young people to seek out and educate themselves about peer support programs on their campuses and in their communities. It will be primarily targeted to CSUDH students. Invitations will be extended closer to the event date. 

Over the past two decades, mental health struggles have risen dramatically, especially among young adults. While more than 80% of young adults say they will turn to a friend first when they are struggling, the majority of peers say they don't feel equipped to respond effectively. Vice President Harris and the celebrity guest will speak directly with young Americans about the importance of recognizing how to help a friend when they are struggling with their mental health, while continuing to shift the culture of mental health from awareness to action.

"We are honored to continue working in collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration in our shared commitment to encourage action around mental health, particularly among young people," said Brianna Cayo Cotter, SVP of Social Impact, MTV Entertainment Studios and Paramount Media Networks. "As we mark the third-annual Mental Health Action Day, we are delighted to join Vice President Kamala Harris along with the administration and students of CSUDH to talk about the power of friends supporting friends with their mental health."

"As a university with nearly 90 percent students of color, CSUDH is honored to welcome Vice President Harris to campus for this historic visit," said CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham. "As a Black psychologist, I know that mental health is one of the most pressing matters facing our students, and one which must be addressed at the highest levels of government. CSUDH students deserve the opportunity to engage with a trailblazing leader like Vice President Harris on critical issues affecting their education and everyday lives. We are all excited to elevate the conversation around mental health on a national platform, and are thrilled she has chosen CSUDH."

In 2022, MTV Entertainment Studio hosted the first-ever Mental Health Youth Action Forum at the White House together with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Selena Gomez. On the day before Mental Health Action Day, the forum showcased youth mental health activists and creators who brought their respective experiences in mental health advocacy and content creation to showcase campaigns they developed to inspire their peers to take action to support both themselves and their friends' mental health. Since the event, MTV Entertainment partnered with select participants to launch "Hidden Healers," a first-of-its-kind digital video series that elevates, uplifts and centers culturally grounded healing practices from BIPOC communities.

Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement of more than 1800 brands, organizations, government agencies, and cultural leaders to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action.

The third Mental Health Action Day will take place on Thursday, May 18, 2023, with a mission to encourage and empower people to take action on mental health -- whether for themselves, for their loved ones, or for their communities, because mental health is health.

Learn more at mentalhealthactionday.org and mentalhealthishealth.us

SOURCE MTV Entertainment Studios