The counseling department is producing a new series of mental health videos that will release on an ongoing basis and cover an array of topics pertaining to student stressors, needs and well-being.

The first video of the series was released on Jan. 25 and discussed how students can use journaling to help mitigate stress and improve their well-being. Mental health specialist Miguel Gomez and counselor Ryan Itchon said that the videos are a joint effort to increase student engagement and outreach with mental health resources.

“I feel an issue is that we offer so much mental health support in so many ways, and students are just not aware of what’s possible and what exists,” Itchon said. “We have a platform that connects with all of our students and families, so to make the most out of it, I felt the easiest way to do that is through the short form video content.”

Poor mental health has become an increasingly prevalent issue among high schoolers across the nation in recent years. In 2021, more than four in ten youths reported feeling sad or hopeless — a nearly 60% increase since 2009, according to the CDC. 

“In this kind of environment where success is highly emphasized, there’s a lot of students who are struggling to keep up with school or other activities, and they kind of get bogged down with stress or get depressed,” hope squad member and junior Christian Kim said. “I think that everyone kind of needs to take a step back and sort of reassess the priorities of their life, and counselors can help a lot with that.” 

The counseling department aims to increase its approachability with the video series and hopes to introduce its services to those who need them the most, according to Gomez. 

“We wanted to be able to provide a different platform for those who may want to have some sort of help, but don’t quite feel like they have the courage to come in yet,” Gomez said. “Video is a perfect example of a depiction of what my personality is and what my vibe is. It’s kind of a way to put name to face, and I feel that provides a tangible sense or perspective to who I am.”

The counselors hope to continue producing the videos as a way of making a lasting impact on the Bulldog community, according to Itchon. Though its release is tentatively scheduled, the next video will be addressing sources of student stress and the ways students can cope with them, according to Itchon.