Call Me Crazy: Five Interwoven Stories Focus on Mental Illness & its Impact on Those it Affects

The Lifetime movie Call Me Crazy depicts five interwoven stories that focus on mental illness and its impact on those it affects, their friends and families. The film's message, in part, says Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer, is that "mental illness is non-discriminant. It crosses all racial categories, all socioeconomic levels, all educational levels, all genders. "I just thought it would be best to be part of something that would enlighten people," Spencer says, "and show that people can live productive lives with the right medication and therapy."

Call Me Crazy is a follow-up to the Lifetime's 2011 original movie Five, whose cast included Patricia Clarkson, Rosario Dawson and Bob Newhart. With the focus on breast cancer, Five, like Crazy, told interconnected stories on a single subject. Directors of those five shorts included Aniston, Demi Moore and Alicia Keys. Each of the Call Me Crazy stories is named for its title character, and the directors, like the actors, are stars in their own right.

• Lucy, directed by Howard, stars Snow as a law-school student struggling with schizophrenia. Spencer is her psychotherapist, and Jason Ritter is a friend she meets after being institutionalized.
• Grace, directed by Laura Dern, stars Sarah Hyland (Modern Family) as a teenager whose mother (Melissa Leo) is struggling with bipolar disorder.
• Allison, directed by Sharon Maguire (who directed Bridget Jones's Diary) continues Lucy's story as her younger sister Allison (Medium's Sofia Vassilieva) resents the attention Lucy receives from their parents (Jean Smart and Richard Gilliland).
• Eddie, directed by Helen Hunt, stars Lea Thompson as Julia, whose husband Eddie (Mitch Rouse) struggles with depression.
• And Maggie, directed by Ashley Judd, stars Jennifer Hudson as a war veteran struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder; Snow's Lucy also plays a key role in Crazy's final short.

"This film is so great because its not a PSA telling you about what to do and what the signs are," says Brittany Snow. "This is a film about people who are family and friends of ours, maybe even ourselves. It sheds some hope on a subject that isn't talked about that much." The pieces show "what these people are going through and the strength that they have," says Snow, "but I also think people who have mental illness can watch and hopefully connect with these characters," The film's primary message, says Spencer, is enlightenment.

Read more on USAToday.com.

Link between Insomnia, Depression and Suicidal Ideation in Older Adults

A study of people 65-94 years of age found that insomnia was significantly associated with suicidal ideation in this age group. The relationship between insomnia and suicidal ideation was mediated by depression (that is, insomnia was not significantly associated with suicidal ideation in the absence of depressive symptoms). However, the authors suggest that insomnia may serve as a valuable indicator of suicide risk among older adults, as other research shows that older people often suffer from insomnia before they begin to exhibit symptoms of depression. The study is titled Insomnia Symptoms, Nightmares, and Suicidal Ideation in Older Adults and was published in the Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

The researchers also recommend that health care providers should (1) screen older adults for insomnia, (2) assess older adults reporting insomnia and depression for suicidal ideation, (3) be aware that older adults with insomnia are at increased risk for depression (and thus suicidal ideation), and (4) understand that other research has shown that insomnia can interfere with the treatment of depression. Nightmares were not found to be associated with suicidal ideation.

Read more on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center website. Read the full-text of the study.

New Mexico Public Television Show Discusses Mental Health and Stigma in the Latino Community

This episode of the New Mexico public television broadcast "Fronteras - A Changing America" features an interview with the National Latino Behavioral Health Association (NLBHA) Operations Manager Fredrick Sandoval. The episode discusses the stigma of mental health and the barriers associated with seeking help in the Latino community. 

Watch the video. Learn more about NLBHA.

A Framework for Advancing the Self-Sufficiency and Well-Being of At-Risk Youth

A new report from Mathematica and the Administration for Children and Families Youth Demonstration Development Project outlines a framework for using evidence-based practices to address youths’ resilience and “human capital development.” 

The report mentions the Strengthening Families Program as a evidence-informed interventions to increase resilience in youth. The Strengthening Families Program for Youth 10-14 and Their Families was a training track on the annual National Network to Eliminate Disparities (NNED) training -- NNEDLearn 2013.

Read the report (pdf).

Anti-Gay Bullying Tied to Teen Depression: Bully-Prevention Programs must Address Sexual Orientation

Students targeted because they're believed to be gay -- as many as one in seven young teens -- are much more likely than others to be suicidal and depressed, a new survey finds. More than 10 percent of eighth-grade boys and girls reported that they're victimized because of perceived sexual orientation, according to a large survey of students in Washington state. The survey results, published online May 16 in the American Journal of Public Health, don't offer insight into whether bullying contributes to depression and suicidal thoughts in its victims. It's possible that kids with existing mental illnesses may be more likely to be bullied and perceived as gay. Based on the new findings, bully-prevention programs must address kids picked on because of their sexual orientation, the study authors said. The study is titled Bullying and Quality of Life in Youths Perceived as Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual in Washington State, 2010.

The study is based on a 2010 survey of nearly 28,000 students in grades eight, 10 and 12. Among boys, 14 percent of eighth-graders, 11 percent of 10th-graders and 9 percent of 12th-graders reported being bullied within the previous month because they were thought to be gay. The numbers were 11 percent, 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively, for girls. The survey defined bullying based on sexual orientation as being "bullied, harassed or intimidated at school" because they were thought to be gay or bisexual. It defined other types of bullying as when one or more students "say or do nasty or unpleasant things" to another person or tease someone "repeatedly in a way he or she finds offensive." In most cases, more students reported being bullied for other reasons.

Read more on HealthDay.com. Read the abstract of the study.

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