We All Have Stuff Campaign to Be Launched as Supporting Program
IA/IL QUAD-CITIES – Suicide among young people is not easy to discuss, but it is still a topic that cannot be ignored. Many people may not realize that suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 13 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To inform the community about this vital concern, Mickle Communications of Davenport, IA, has created the prime-time special, If You Only Knew: The Journey Through Teen Depression and Suicide. The special will air on these television and radio stations (check local listings for times):
WQPT (Quad-Cities PBS) as a documentary, Sept. 7.
WHBF (Quad-Cities PBS affiliate) as a prime-time news special, Sept. 10.
KGCW (Quad Cities CW) as a prime-time news special, Sept. 11.
WVIK (NPR) as a continuing series podcast, Sept. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22.
“As the father of teenage children, it saddens me whenever I hear of a teen suicide,” said Mike Mickle, Executive Producer of If You Only Knew. “While the statistics are alarming, even one teenage suicide is devastating, and steps need to be taken to educate the community at every level.”
If You Only Knew features families who have lost children to suicide, as well as a young woman who attempted suicide several times as a teenager, but found the help she needed. The original documentary first aired on WQPT in March 2016. It was nominated for a Mid-America Emmy, and is currently available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon.
“The new prime-time television special will be different from the original documentary,” Mickle said. “It will include a more recent story of one family’s tragic loss. You will also learn what some young people have to endure when you hear anonymous social media messages sent to a Quad-City teenager. In the studio, we will have a frank discussion with experts. Plus, mental health specialists from Vera French will be standing by to take phone calls on both nights.”
We All Have Stuff Campaign
In addition to the If You Only Knew broadcasts in September, Mickle Communications will also launch the We All Have Stuff campaign:
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WHBF and Quad Cities CW will air 30-second videos in which kids discuss the “stuff” that holds them back. Topics include sexual identity, diabetes, loss of a loved one, poverty, anxiety, depression, and more.
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WQPT will feature the videos on their website, while local radio stations will air the audio.
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A seven-minute video, aimed at students who may suffer from depression, will be shown to area schools. Q&A sessions will follow. The Q&A guide was developed by members of the Scott County Suicide Awareness Task Force in conjunction with Area Education Agencies (AEA).
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A traveling mural will visit schools in the Quad City area. A ribbon-cutting for the mural will be held on Sept. 11. Students can write or draw on the mural to show the “stuff” that holds them back.
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The September 2017 issue of the community magazine QC Family Focus, published by Mickle Communications, will feature articles related to this topic.
The Dangers They Face
If You Only Knew: The Journey Through Teen Depression and Suicide is the first of eight documentaries, which will form a series called Mickle Communications’ The Dangers They Face Movement.
“Young people face multiple under-the-radar concerns in today’s world. Many parents do not realize how prevalent these dangers have become, and so the community must be informed,” Mickle said.
All eight documentaries are being produced by Mickle Communications, their magazine QC Family Focus, and their not-for-profit organization, the Healthy Happy Families Foundation. “The goal of the Foundation is to strengthen families with a proactive approach, and to empower children with good decision-making skills and parents with vital resources,” said Mickle.
The eight documentaries will be:
- If You Only Knew: The Journey Through Teen Depression and Suicide
- Human Trafficking in the Heartland
- Down on the Pharm: The Pharmaceutical and Heroin Epidemic
- Finding The River: Poverty in the Land of Plenty
- Power & Control: When Young Love Goes Wrong
- Digital Dangers: The Threats that Lurk Online
- Class Not Dismissed: Violence in the Classroom
- The Transition: Examining Transgender Issues
