What IF... We Could Discuss the Scale of Our Mental Health Challenges?
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Dear friends,
What IF… we could discuss the sheer scale and scope of our mental health challenges and how they impact our country?
What IF… we could discuss how we invest in our mental health infrastructure and to what extent we should fund the growing demands for those who seek treatment?
What IF… we could change our perceptions, cultural stereotypes, and biases about how we see mental health?
Visiting the National Institutes of Health’s statistics page and choosing any mental health topic is sobering. “Estimates suggest that only half of people with mental illnesses receive treatment.”
The New York Times Magazine reported that, “Nearly 32 percent of adolescents have been diagnosed at some point with anxiety; the median age of ‘onset’ is 6 years old. More than one in 10 adolescents have experienced a major depressive disorder.”
This week we explore the topic of mental health in our facilitation plan Promoting Good Mental Health—not just from an individual perspective but how it is affecting our entire society and the role of technology on this issue.
At the Interactivity Foundation, we abbreviate our name as IF to signal democratic possibility. “What IF…” is our foundational question that opens imagination and invites experimentation. Each Wednesday, we offer a bold question and discussion resources to help expand collective possibility through our What IF Wednesday newsletter.
If you haven’t already, we invite you to subscribe to What IF Wednesday—and share it with a friend. Do you have a topic, question, or resource that you would like to share? Please do! We’d love to include it in our next newsletter.
Understanding Good Mental Health
There are many reasons why people hesitate to talk about mental health issues. More people are living alone and having fewer meaningful interactions. In the U.S., we are seeing significant challenges including depression, stress, drug addiction, and "deaths of despair."
Our facilitation plan invites meaningful discussions about mental health, not just about the impacts on individuals, but how we can all do better to promote good mental health in our society and reframe the conversation about how we address this issue as a community.
We invite people to ask these and similar questions to have a meaningful discussion:
What if we shifted our focus from treating mental illness to promoting and defining mental wellness?
Who should be responsible for making and implementing a mental health policy? Who should be seated and included at the discussion table?
What do you think about the idea that annual mental health check-ups should become as common as physical ones?
How do we challenge our existing stereotypes and biases when it comes to mental health? (Especially as it relates to men who seek less treatment).
The Role of Technology
As we wrote earlier this year, isolation, disconnection, and loneliness are increasing as a result of our pervasive use of digital technology and social media.
We need to discuss:
How is the use of technology impacting our relationships?
What if mental health services expanded even more into digital and virtual spaces?
What if mental health urgent care centers were made widely available, even online?
What is the role of AI as it relates to mental health issues and now being utilized as a friend, partner, advisor, or life coach?
Progress on Youth Suicide Prevention
It is easy to focus on the negative when discussing mental health issues. We need to acknowledge when interventions and new ideas are working too.
On April 22nd, the Washington Post reported on the implementation of 988 Lifeline: “Nearly 4,400 fewer U.S. teens and young adults died by suicide than projected in the first two-and-a-half years of the mental health crisis hotline.”
“Studies show that after speaking with a trained crisis counselor, most people who contact the 988 Lifeline are significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed and more hopeful,” a spokesperson for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which funds the hotline , said in response to the study.
Addressing and discussing the future of mental health is complex. New research has shown “significant disparities in mental health among groups.” The communities that are impacted and need the most care often receive less resources and attention.
The complexity surrounding mental health requires sustained discussions and meaningful engagement from families, neighbors, and our communities who can collaborate together.
We believe this week’s facilitation plan will encourage bold, creative, and honest discussions about the future of mental health.
We are hiring a Program Coordinator!
The Program Coordinator is primarily responsible for supporting the Collaborative Discussion Project (CDP) and other IF programming. This coordinator role is responsible for managing digital content and platforms, coordinating communications and outreach, and assisting with program delivery. See full job description here.
This position will remain open until filled. For full consideration, please submit your application by Sunday, June 7th.
Questions can be directed to jes@interactivityfoundation.org, Attn: CDP Program Coordinator Position.
Upcoming Events
Collaborative Discussion Cohort Training Grants. Apply by May 15th!
Register for a monthly webinar to learn more about upcoming events and our free resource library of facilitation plans, discussion guides, innovative tools, and collaborative discussion toolkit!
Thursday, May 21, 2026 | 2:00—3:00 PM EST
Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 12:00—1:00 PM EST
Friday, July 24, 2026 | 2:00—3:00 PM EST
Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026 | 12:00—1:00 PM EST
Coming Soon: Apply to become an IF Discussion Club Host (think book club, without the book) $1000 stipend support.
Thanks,
The IF Team