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Highlighting Childhood Mental Illness

Tuesday, 30 August 2016 05:29

A new video series could help start the conversation about childhood mental illnesses.

MI Understanding is working to shine a light on mental illness in kids under the age of 12.

With the support of the Kids Mental Health Optimist Club of Canada and students from Fanshawe College MI Understanding is creating informational videos about childhood health.

President Paula Jesty tells us more about these online videos.

"So there are five of them and they will be three to five minutes long and they're dealing with anxieties that kids in that age group deal with. Having them produced with puppets, we can certainly tackle it in a way that is entertaining and educational."

Some of the puppeteers featured in these videos also have very impressive backgrounds:

Frank Meschkuleit: voices Toopy in the children's show Toopy and Binoo. Also has a history working with The Muppets.
Gord Robertson: voices Zoboomafoo in the Zoboomafoo TV show and also has worked with The Muppets.
Andy Hayward: Has worked on Sesame Street and has done some work with Disney.

These videos should be posted on the MI Understanding website in mid September and will be free to view.

Jesty hopes the videos will help start the childhood mental health conversation.

"Those early signs are still being missed. Despite all of the things we're doing in the media we're still not having that conversation at home and what we are hoping with these videos is it starts just that."

MI Understanding has also visited numerous schools and community groups in order to educate the public about the topic. According to their website, one in five children suffers from a mental health disorder.

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