Mental illness is a significant global health crisis—as pervasive as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease—but it often exists in secret and is endured in isolation.

WMHT will work collaboratively with project partners to center youth voices in discussions around the film and local efforts to support youth facing mental health challenges. WMHT will create multi-platform content that tells stories about youth mental health and wellness topics. WMHT will serve as a bridge between partners with the goals of allowing youth to lead, creating awareness around youth mental health work in our area, getting communities connected to the resources they need, and encouraging our shared and unique audiences to be part of the discussion.

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: YOUTH MENTAL ILLNESS features first-person accounts from more than 20 young people, ranging in age from 11 to 27, who live with mental health conditions, as well as parents, teachers, friends, healthcare providers in their lives, and independent mental health experts. The film presents an unvarnished window into daily life with mental health challenges, from seemingly insurmountable obstacles to stories of hope and resilience.

Through the experiences of these young people, the film confronts the issues of stigma, discrimination, awareness, and silence, and, in doing so, helps advance a shift in the public perception of mental health issues today.