The Spread Positivity campaign for high schools specifically in low socioeconomic areas was created to address the negative mental health outcomes that adverse childhood experiences have the potential to cause. According to the CDC-Kaiser ACEs Study, adverse childhood experiences are especially prevalent in areas of low socioeconomic status because these communities have a higher proportion of factors such as reported abuse, neglect, incarceration, parental separation, and mental illness. It is important to create prevention and intervention programs to focus on these factors in order to minimize the negative outcomes that can occur. The Spread Positivity campaign includes three materials: one multimedia material and two print materials. A brochure was assembled specifically for students who do not yet feel comfortable communicating their hardships with the high school staff and their peers. The brochure gives readers information regarding what exactly adverse childhood experiences are and even further, gives them simple but effective tools to increase their self-confidence, begin to find their identity, and improve their mental health. The material also gives readers contact information to hotlines and local organizations to learn more or to reach out to others experiencing similar things. The blog is a resource for students to access when they require advice or guidance on specific topics such as bullying and self-confidence issues. The blog directly addresses adverse childhood experiences and their impact on each and every topic the post covers. The most recent post highlighting a variety of ways to address self-confidence issues and how to begin to build a healthy relationship with oneself. Finally, the podcast is an influential resource that covers a substantial amount of topics that a student may not have had the opportunity to learn in school or at home. These topics range from college applications to financial stability and indepdence, and self-esteem and mental health. Experts in the field of each topic covered appear on the show to offer students their advice and guidance to success.
In this day and age, the stress of being a high school student is growing yet there is a large disparity between acknowledging these issues and actually receiving the help you require. Many high schools have yet to address adverse childhood experiences and mental health issues and there is a huge necessity to especially considering that students are still in an impressionable age while attending. The Spread Positivity campaign not only acknowledges these impacts but also gives students resources to seek out help and begin to build healthy relationships with others and with themselves.
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