In honor of Mental Health Month, the school’s Peer Assistant Leaders organized a variety of activities, including a panel on men’s mental health on May 9 and Stress Less Week from May 19 to 23.
This year, PALs partnered with the EndurANT Movement and Boys to Men Mentoring to “bridge the gap between our current high school male students and valuable resources that not only encourage men to reach out, but inspire men to take care of their mental health,” according to PALs President Shyla Mighdoll (12).
“The EndurANT Movement itself is a newer organization, but truly carries so much impact,” Mighdoll said. “Founded by parents of a TPHS student who lost their son to suicide, they are working to empower teenage voices through teen mental health trainings and community outreach.”
One major event PALs hosted with EndurANT was a mental health panel on May 9 during lunch in the PALs room. There, Neil Tricarico, founder of the EndurANT Movement, Jonathan Friedman, a Boys 2 Men representative and Daniel Singley, a licensed male psychologist discussed the importance of men’s mental health.
“I would recommend people to go if there’s another panel in the future,” Angie Sun (10), who participated in the event, said. “It was a really eye-opening conversation, and I think a lot of people could relate to what was being said. It’s not something we always talk about, so I think more people should hear it. Mental health isn’t something that’s always easy or comfortable to talk about, but panels like this help make it feel more normal.”
Emma Beckwith (10), a member of PALs, confirms that PALs hopes to “make this a bigger event like our Suicide Prevention walks.”
PALs also organized Stress Less Week from May 19 to 23.
“We are going to start something new: Mindfulness Mornings, in the PALs room starting at 8 a.m. to allow students to come into a calm, safe space before their school day to study or destress,” Mighdoll said. “We will provide journaling opportunities, good music and an inclusive environment for any student to enjoy. This will be every morning [during Stress Less Week].”
A luncheon will be held on May 21 in the PALs room featuring painting and drawing activities aimed at helping students find coping strategies and build community, according to Mighdoll. PALs will host their second Fun Friday on May 23, featuring school clubs focused on mental health.
In addition to on-campus events, PALs has shared related content on their Instagram such as interviews with representatives from these charity organizations, families in the San Diego community who have been impacted by men’s mental health struggles and teachers at TPHS, according to Mighdoll.
PALs chose to focus on men’s mental health awareness due to the lack of attention it receives.
“In 2023, suicide rates for men were four times that of women, which just shows that there really needs to be issues addressed in men’s mental health,” Beckwith said.
Mighdoll claims that this stems from the toxic societal expectations regarding men’s mental health, such as “the common phrases: ‘Boys don’t cry,’ ‘Be a man’ and even people stating that emotions are only for women.”
“There is a marginal difference in the likelihood that men will receive mental healthcare compared to their female counterparts, and I strongly believe that through men’s mental health outreach and an open mind, we can begin to change this statistic,” Mighdoll said.
PALs advisor and chemistry teacher Angela Willden agreed.
“To destigmatize, provide information, provide awareness — that’s our main goal,” Willden said. “And then people can feel comfortable, confident coming to us, coming to the school counselors, going to their parents, their trusted adult, and saying, ‘Hey, I need help.’”
