How can we talk to young people about mental health accurately, sensitively, and with scientific rigor? La Minute Mentale, la voix des jeunes is a six-episode podcast series created in collaboration with the youth council of the Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health and the student cohort of the Douglas Research Centre. It draws on stories from young people and conversations with experts.
At the origin of the project, Professor Marie-Claude Geoffroy and a team of students — Chelsea Cuffaro, Sasha MacNeil, Léa Perret, Marjolaine Rivest-Beauregard and Claudia-Ève Therriault — transformed testimonies, interviews and scientific knowledge into accessible episodes close to the experience of teenage girls and boys.
“With La Minute Mentale, la voix des jeunes, we wanted to create a space where these two sides could come together.”
Dr. Marie-Claude Geoffroy, Canada Research Chair in Youth Suicide Prevention and researcher at the Douglas Research Centre
The students played a central role in the scriptwriting, creating a bridge between the young people’s lived experiences and scientific knowledge. Marjolaine Rivest-Beauregard also coordinated the project, with the support of Nusrat Jahan Nitu.
The series was produced in collaboration with the VIVA Studio at the Douglas, under the artistic and technical direction of Nathanaël Corre.
The six episodes address emotions and mutual support, suicidal thoughts and recovery, war experienced from a distance, queer identity, social media, as well as sport and substance use.
A series to listen to and to share
La Minute Mentale, la voix des jeunes, is aimed primarily at young people, but also at parents, service providers, teachers, and organizations that wish to open up the discussion on mental health.