Selena Gomez has taken her passion of speaking up about mental health to the White House.
On Wednesday (May 18), the “Lose You to Love Me” singer hosted a forum alongside Dr. Jill Biden and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy for the inaugural Mental Health Youth Action Forum, a panel to discuss the mental health issues young people are struggling with, and suggested possible ways mental health can be improved.
Gomez, Biden and Murthy met with 30 mental health leaders and additionally spoke about how far speaking about mental health has come since the beginning of the pandemic in 2020.
“Over the last decade, an alarming number of young people have struggled with mental health challenges, and the pandemic has made it so much worse: the isolation, the anxiety and, yes, the grief. They are wounds that sometimes go unseen, too often cloaked in secrecy and shame,” Biden addressed the crowd, which gathered in the White House’s East Room. “But young people don’t have to face these challenges alone. No one does. The darkness inside of us can feel heavy at times, but we can share the weight of it together. And we can help bring those feelings and experiences to the light.”
Gomez then shared anecdotes of her own regarding her mental health. “I heard a phrase recently that I really like: the mentionable becomes manageable. I felt like once I found out what was going on mentally I found there was more freedom for me to be ok with what I had because I was learning about it, and talking about your own journey helps,” she said. “It is a topic that should be talked about freely, without shame.”
“I hope that by using my platform to share my own story and by working with incredible people,” the 29-year-old singer, actress and beauty mogul continued. “I can help others feel less alone and find the help that they need, which is honestly all I want…We need as much help as we can possibly get developing resources and services and increasing access to those services for young people.”
Gomez teaming up with Biden comes in light of Thursday’s Mental Health Action Day and the April launch of Gomez’s Wondermind, her mental health fitness company. Watch her talk with Biden and Murthy below.
