Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon (00:04)
Happy Wellbeing Wednesday, I'm your host Dr. Kortni This is the first of a special three-part series focused on one of my most transformative tools that we can use in newsrooms, and that's mental health first aid. You've likely heard about CPR, right? Maybe you've been trained to use a defibrillator or evacuate a building during a fire drill, but here's a question.
I want you to explore today. What are we doing to prepare for a mental health emergency in the newsroom? What are we doing to prepare for a mental health emergency in the newsroom? The truth is most of us aren't prepared at all. Journalists are five times more likely than the general public to be diagnosed with depression.
We face daily exposure to trauma, school shootings, natural disasters, war zones. We cover some of the most darkest moments in people's lives. Then move on to the next story, the next deadline, in many cases with no pause, possible processing, or even a plan for recovery. This silence crisis in our profession. This is a silence crisis in our...
This is a silence crisis in our profession and I'm not the only one raising this flag. Sandra E. Martin recently wrote a powerful article published by the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, where she highlights how the Globe and Mail in Canada has begun training newsroom staff in mental health first aid.
The training helps journalists recognize signs of mental distress and responding appropriately. It's practical, it's preventative, it's life-changing. And the Globe and Mail isn't alone. The BBC has already trained more than 900 employees, 900 in mental health first aid.
These leading organizations understand that psychological safety is not just a luxury, it's essential. So let me paint this picture this way. We run fire drills. We practice evacuations. We wear reflective vests and green hats to guide people to safety.
We run fire drills. We practice evacuations. We wear reflective vests and green hats to guide people to safety. But when a colleague withdraws, stops possibly smiling or cries silently at their desk, we often don't know what to do. We may look away. We may stay silent. It's not out of apathy, right? But it's out of uncertainty.
mental health first aid changes that. That is why I didn't just stop at becoming certified in mental health first aid myself. I decided to go one step further and become a certified instructor in mental health first aid. Because after completing the training, I realized just how urgent we need this in journalism. Not as a recommendation, but as a responsibility.
kept thinking, what if every newsroom had at least one person trained to recognize when someone is in crisis? What if leaders had tools to intervene early rather than after burnout or breakdown? The thought lit a fire in me. I knew I wanted to be part of the solution, not just as an advocate.
but someone who can actually train others to become certified in mental health first aid, to become mental health first aiders. So now I'm leading a pilot to do just that for journalists, news leaders, producers, and anyone in media who wants to build a safer and more compassionate culture. And as someone who spent nearly two decades in the newsroom, I'll tell you this, we need this training. We need
it to not just for ourselves but for our colleagues, our interns, our team, and even the story subjects we serve. This also aligns deeply with my work as a happiness scholar. know, positive psychology teaches us that well-being is just not simply a luxury, it's a fundamental dynamic in terms of how we think, create, connect.
It's the scientific study of optimal human flourishing, what we do well. A culture of care increases resilience, engagement, and purpose. And Mental Health First Aid is a tangible research-based tool to help bring those values to life in real newsroom settings. The BBC's HR leadership said this, and she said it best in this article. Well-being of our staff
the diversity of our workforce, and the culture we create are central to our ambition. So let's be bold. Let's be intentional. Let's be the newsroom that not only tells great stories, but also protects the storytellers. This episode is just the beginning. In our next episode, we're going to demystify mental health first aid, what exactly it is,
how it's not therapy, how it's not a diagnosis. And no, you're not expected to have all of the answers. Mental health first aid is an evidence-based training that teaches everyday people like you, like me, how to recognize when someone's experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge, how to respond with care and how to guide them to appropriate support.
It's about being prepared. It's about showing up. It's about knowing how to help without overstepping or freezing. I'll also introduce you to the five step action plan behind it. called ALGEE and we'll explore real world newsroom situations where this training could make a difference. And because mental health first aid is evidence-based, it's also deeply practical. And yes, it could save a life.
If this resonates with you, share this episode with your team. Share it with a colleague at another newsroom. Start the conversation because compassionate newsrooms don't just happen by accident. They happen when leaders like you say, you know, we can do better.
I'm Dr. Kortni. Remember, your wellbeing, well, is your most important job. And I'm always here to help. See you next week.
