Media Advisory - Virtual Panel - How to Powerfully and Positively Report on Veterans' Mental Health this Remembrance Day

THE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ON POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD) INVITES JOURNALISTS TO HEAR FROM VETERANS ON HOW TO POWERFULLY AND POSITIVELY REPORT ON VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH AHEAD OF REMEMBRANCE DAY

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 2, 2020 /CNW/ - The Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions will host a virtual panel as part of their Compelling Conversation Series, titled "The Power of the Media: Impact on Veteran Stories."

This conversation aims to help journalists and communicators powerfully and positively report on Veteran mental health in the lead up to Remembrance Day. Attendees can expect to learn from the lived experiences and perspectives of a Veteran, Veteran family member, and a journalist.

To register for the virtual panel event, please visit: registration link 
EVENT: Virtual panel / media availability
DATE: Wednesday, November 4
TIME: 1:00 p.m. virtual panel / 1:45 p.m. Q&A
LOCATION: Live Stream, Centre of Excellence YouTube Channel
PARTICIPANTS:

• Veteran:
• Veteran Family Member:
• Journalist:
• Researcher: Dr. Rob Whitley, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University and Research Scientist, Douglas Research Centre
• Host: Dr. Patrick Smith, CEO and Founder of the Centre of Excellence on PTSD
• Moderator: Graham Richardson, Chief News Anchor for CTV News at Six and afternoon news anchor on Newstalk 580 CFRA.

Questions will be taken at registration and in the YouTube chat. Media availability will follow event.

This virtual event marks the launch of a new study on the tone and content of veteran media coverage on mental health.

"The study is conducted in close consultation with Veterans, Veteran Families, journalists, journalism schools, national media associations, and media outlets," says Dr. Patrick Smith, CEO and Founder of the Centre of Excellence on PTSD. "Our hope is this work will gain much-needed attention in order to reduce stigma surrounding Veteran mental health and set a new standard of excellence in Canadian journalism."

The findings of this unique action-research study are expected in November 2021 and will be used to create interventions that can help raise awareness among journalists about the issues related to Veterans' mental health and suicide. The development of these interventions will be informed by an advisory group of journalists, Veterans and Veteran Family Members.  

Dr. Rob Whitley, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at McGill University and Research Scientist, Douglas Research Centre, says this project takes a truly collaborative approach. "We all have a role to play in creating a climate of inclusion and integration for our military veterans," he says. "This includes journalists and the media, a vital part of civil society that can counter Hollywood stereotypes through nuanced and balanced perspectives".

For more information on the Veteran Media Analysis Study, please visit: website link

The Canadian Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions builds strong community networks to create the best possible supports and services for Veterans, first responders, and their families. The Centre, located at the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and funded by Veterans Affairs Canada, shares knowledge and expertise about PTSD, mental health, suicide prevention, and substance abuse issues.

BACKGROUNDER

Veteran Media Analysis Study

The Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions, in collaboration with the Douglas Hospital Research Centre, has launched a new study on the tone and content of veteran media coverage on mental health.

The findings of this unique action-research study will be used to create interventions that can help raise awareness among journalists about the issues related to Veterans mental health and suicide. The development of these interventions will be informed by an advisory group of journalists, Veterans and Veteran Family Members.  The multi-year study will examine change over time in coverage, looking in particular at whether changes result after the rollout of the interventions.

The first set of findings are expected to become available in November 2021.

Background information

Suicide remains a major public health issue, representing one of the top 10 causes of death in Canada. A Veteran Suicide Mortality Study (VSMS) conducted by Veteran Affairs Canada found the risk of suicide for both male and female veterans was observed to be consistently higher than in the general Canadian population (Simkus et al., 2019). The study found that male Veterans overall had a 1.4 times higher risk of dying by suicide compared to the general male population in Canada. Female Veterans overall were 1.9 times at a higher risk of dying by suicide compared to the general female Canadian population. In light of these findings, the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada in 2017 released a comprehensive Joint Suicide Prevention Strategy that indicates targets for action, including media engagement on responsible reporting of suicide.

Dr. Robert Whitley and his team have been tracking generic coverage of mental health issues within Canadian media since 2005. The analysis of the research indicated that the media tended to portray mental health issues negatively from 2005 to 2010 (Whitley & Berry 2013).

In 2013, the Mental Health Commission of Canada and various partners conducted numerous outreach activities with media to provide education around best practices in mental health journalism. This included Mindset (2014), a short set of best-practice mental health reporting guidelines and a series of educational workshops at major Canadian journalism schools. The evidence following these activities showed a significant improvement in day-to-day media coverage of mental health issues between 2010 and2016 (Whitley & Wang 2017a, 2017b). This may have been partly due to intervention efforts.

The determinants of suicide are complex; however, it has been shown that responsible media coverage of suicide and related mental health issues can create a climate that facilitates help-seeking behavior, public empathy and social interventions (Carmichael et al., 2019).

About the Centre of Excellence on PTSD

The Centre of Excellence on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Related Mental Health Conditions builds strong community networks to create the best possible supports and services for Veterans, first responders, and their families.

We bring people together, take what we all know about PTSD and mental health conditions and how to treat them, widely share that information, and ensure our collective knowledge is reflected in the work we do.

The Centre's work focuses on a cycle of knowledge, practice, and policy, built upon a foundation of collective action. Our partnerships with Veterans and their families, service providers, and researchers take a Veteran-centred approach to respect the power and wisdom of lived and living experience.

About Dr. Whitley and the Douglas Research Centre

Rob Whitley is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill University, and a research scientist at the Douglas Research Centre. The Douglas Research Centre is Canada's second-largest research centre devoted to mental health, and is embedded in a large mental hospital, which is a member of the Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux (CIUSSS) de l'Ouest-de-l'île-de-Montréal. The research centre is affiliated with McGill University.

Veteran Media Analysis Project launch

As part of the Veteran Media Analysis Study launch on November 4, 2020, the Centre of Excellence on PTSD will be hosting a virtual panel as part of a new Compelling Conversation Series. This first topic will be titled "The Power of the Media: Impact on Veteran Stories" and include conversation around the lived experiences and perspectives of a journalist, Veteran and Veteran Family Member.

To receive the latest updates on the project, visit https://veteransmentalhealth.ca/research-projects/veterans-and-media/ and sign up for the Centre's mailing list.

Register here for the virtual panel: registration link

SOURCE The Centre of Excellence on PTSD and Other Related Mental Health Conditions - Veterans Affairs Canada

Carrie Irvine, [email protected], 613-796-4434