Essay Contest Opens for High School Students

The “Speaking Up About Mental Health” national essay challenge is open until Jan. 16. The contest encourages teens to start conversations about mental health and the stigma people may face when seeking mental health treatment. The National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development are co-sponsors. 

U.S. high school students ages 16-18 are invited to submit short essays (not exceeding 1,000 words) on topics that may include stigma and barriers, resilience and coping strategies, school policies or practices, the impact of social media and technology and more. Multiple winners will be chosen to receive cash prizes. 

Winners will be announced on May 31. 

For details, visit https://nimhd.nih.gov/EssayContest. 

Read the winning 2022 essays at go.nih.gov/DI0DqdX.