CareSource featured a special Mental Health Pep Rally today at Har-Ber High School, which was attended by the motivational guests of Razorback Basketball Coach John Calipari, the Razorback basketball team and guest speaker and The Mental Game podcast host Brandon Saho.
Centered around the powerful message, “it’s ok to not be ok,” CareSource aims to normalize mental health conversations and help create safe, supportive environments where young people feel empowered to seek help and thrive, according to a press release by the nonprofit.
Saho shared his history of living his dream as a sports reporter as he struggled with depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.
“That first thought of suicide came as a freshman in high school,” Saho said. “We didn’t talk about this stuff.”
Visiting basketball Coach Wes Miller of the Cincinnati Bearcats and Calipari both encouraged students to pay attention to others and to listen to what may be on another’s mind.
Calipari said phone use is a particular mental health concern for students and young college athletes
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“If it's controlling you, it's an issue,” he said of phone use. “You control your phone, set it down, prove to yourself you can do that.”
He said it’s important to find joy in your life, which isn’t within a phone screen.
“If every dip you die, you're going to die a lot,” Calipari said. “And if every mountain you're climbing gives you that euphoric stuff, you're too much in it.”
Brookelyn Gibson, Har-Ber High School cheer captain, agreed with the coach’s concerns about how phones can be linked to depression.
“There can be a lot of anxiety and depression when using your phone because of all the caparisons people can make on social media,” she said.
Saho encouraged students who are struggling with anxiety, depression or any mental health concern to reach out to a trusted adult to ask for help.
“You can’t do it alone,” he said, stressing that feelings are temporary. “Those feelings, they aren’t facts, nothing’s the end of the world, but you gotta do step one. You gotta do something about it and ask for help.”
CareSource is a nonprofit, nationally recognized managed care organization with over two million members. CareSource administers one of the largest Medicaid managed care plans in the U.S. The organization offers health insurance, including Medicaid, Health Insurance Marketplace and Medicare products. As a mission-driven organization, CareSource is transforming health care with innovative programs that address the social determinants of health, prevention and access to care.