To create greater awareness of the immense issue of teenage mental health and engage with middle and high school communities to provide a mental health first aid kit for teenagers.
Bring awareness to the pervasive issue of teenage mental health by distributing simple vetted content distributed through the medium used by teenagers – social media and the internet.
Advocate to middle school students to participate in music and song, not to win, but just to participate, so that they can leverage this as a support as they progress to high school.
Empirical research confirms that teenagers who find a passion for music, often use that as a release in times of stress. This is true not just for the ones that are aiming to be opera singers or concert violinists (green), but also for the bathroom singers, the chair hummers, and the street walking dancers. The HUMANS Initiative wants to promote the latter for all those teenage middle schoolers who don’t naturally excel in music. Because if they get involved in such activities for fun as a middle schooler, it will stay with them as a teenager and support them in times of stress.
Music Therapy promotes mental health in several aspects
Reduce Burnout – reduce the monotony of mundane or repetitive tasks, at home or in the work environment.
Encourage Communication – within oneself or with others by encouraging coordination with the beat, for example while exercising.
Relieve Depression – improve the mood by eliciting positive brain responses and increasing confidence.
Reduce emotional stress – through the calmness of music and by control of negative emotions.
Help social interaction – by building friendships and understanding as people engage socially.
The HUMANS Initiative believes that these characteristics of music can be used to support teenage mental health.
