One Direction singer, Liam Payne, passed away after jumping off his hotel balcony in Argentina. As more information is released, we are finding his mental health and addiction both contributed to his death. This is a prime opportunity to address mental health with your listeners.
Covering a celebrity’s death can be a touchy subject. You want to be respectful, but also give the correct information. You don’t want to go into to much detail, but you do want to give the details. In this case, mental health was the main contributor to this young man’s demise. As you discuss this instance, concentrate on that factor. I can 100% guarantee you have listeners struggling every day.
You don’t have to go full somber when doing this. Utilize one of your breaks; maybe you have a celebrity news segment – take advantage of that time and only cover this story. Now, you have the opportunity to provide help for those in need. Again, do your research. There are community resources who can assist. Find those phone numbers and locations. Give the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-TALK (8255).
It’s ok to get personal here as well. If you have had struggles, or close to someone who has, you can share this on the air. Again, it’s completely up to you how deep you want to go.
The nation is in a battle with mental health right now. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness:
- 1 in 5 US adults experience mental illness each year
- 1 in 20 US adults experience serious mental illness each year
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
You can see, from those stats, how covering this story can lead to a conversation with your listeners. Maybe some of them weren’t ready to have this type of convo, but needed to hear it. You can connect with them on a deeper level without dwelling on the topic too much.
I urge you to find the local mental health assistance information and post those on your social media. Showing your fans you care can mean more than you’ll probably ever know.
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