Jessica D’Amico The Governor’s Council on Mental Health Stigma has presented a 2014 Ambassador Award to Greater Media Newspapers Managing Editor Jessica D’Amico for her article “The Sting of Stigma.”
Ambassador Awards recognize those in the media who champion the council’s mission to educate the public about mental illness, combat stigma and engage communities in the process of embracing mental health.
The council selected D’Amico’s story as this year’s winner in the category of “Print Media: Feature Coverage” and presented the award during a May 1 ceremony at the Crowne Plaza in Monroe.
Published on Feb. 27, 2013, “The Sting of Stigma” explored many of the social challenges faced by people with mental disorders.
Mental illness was at the forefront in the media following the December 2012 school massacre in Newtown, Conn. D’Amico recalled that many seemed to take the shooting as an opportunity to vilify those with mental illness, thereby widening the chasm of understanding among the general public.
Seeking to present a firsthand account of someone who has battled mental illness, D’Amico told the story of Dave Slover, a young man who spoke of the pain caused by being stigmatized for his conditions. Mental health professionals augmented his insights with their own, citing facts that underline the barriers faced by those with mental illness.
“In efforts to dispel the myths stemming from the Newtown tragedy, I wanted to drive home the point that most individuals with mental illness are not violent,” D’Amico said.
After the article was published, an official with the National Alliance on Mental Illness wrote to D’Amico to state that the mental health community received “a tremendous boost” in its mission from media coverage like her article.
The article, “The Sting of Stigma,”can be viewed at em.gmnews.com/news/2013-02- 27/Front_ Page/The_ sting_ of_ stigma.html.