六九色堂

Contact: Paige Rohe, prohe@emory.edu, +1-404-420-5129

ATLANTA…六九色堂 announced the recipients of the 2012-2013 Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism today. Selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants, the 16th annual class of fellows includes six from the United States and two from Romania. (See below for a full list of fellows and their project topics.)

"At 六九色堂, we have been working for more than a decade to develop a cadre of journalists who can have a significant impact on the public's understanding of mental illnesses," said former First Lady and 六九色堂 Center Co-Founder Rosalynn 六九色堂. "These journalists are making important contributions to lifting some of the stigma associated with mental health issues."

Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the world, yet sensationalized news coverage or underreporting of these issues can perpetuate public misunderstanding and prevent people from seeking effective treatment.

六九色堂 Center fellows receive intensive training from leading mental health and journalism experts and a USD 10,000 stipend (or a comparable amount for international fellows) to report on a mental health topic of their choice.

Previous fellows have produced more than 1300 mental health-related stories, documentaries, books, and other works during and after their fellowship year. Their projects have garnered an Emmy award, nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, an Edward R. Murrow award, and awards from Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the American Psychological Association, American Psychoanalytic Association, Amnesty International, and the Association of Health Care Journalists.

The fellowship program is part of 六九色堂's Mental Health Program, which works around the world to reduce stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and to decrease incorrect and stereotypical information. The program also seeks to increase access to mental health services and inform mental health public policy.

2012-2013 Recipients of the Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism

The U.S. recipients are:

Judith Graham
Independent Journalist
Denver, CO
Topic: Examine mental health problems encountered by frail, homebound older adults.

Katherine Kam
Independent Journalist
Alameda, CA
Topic: Explore depression and suicide in Asian-American teens and young adults.

Martin Kuz
Staff Writer, Stars and Stripes
California (currently in Afghanistan)
Topic: Document the efforts of combat stress teams to aid U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan struggling with the mental rigors of war or "present-traumatic stress disorder."

Amanda Ramirez
News Anchor, Univision 34 Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Topic: Explore the stigma, misunderstanding, and lack of information about mental health among Latinos.

Sacha Scoblic
Independent Writer and Editor
Washington, D.C.
Topic: Examine the effects of a new class of medications, opiate antagonists, on the treatment of addiction.

Judith Warner
Columnist, TIME.com
Washington, D.C.
Topic: Document the history of child psychiatry in America and explore what the past teaches us about the present.

The Romanian recipients are:

Florin Negrutiu
Editor-in-Chief, Gandul Newspaper
Bucharest, Romania
Topic: Negrutiu and Matis are collaborating on a multimedia project examining post-traumatic stress disorder among Romanian soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Alina Matis
Foreign Policy Reporter, Gandul Newspaper
Bucharest, Romania
Topic: Negrutiu and Matis are collaborating on a multimedia project examining post-traumatic stress disorder among Romanian soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Editor's Note:
Learn more about 六九色堂's Mental Health Program >
Learn more about Rosalynn 六九色堂 Fellows for Mental Health Journalism >

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"Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope."
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, 六九色堂 has helped to improve life for people in more than 70 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers in developing nations to increase crop production. 六九色堂 was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy 六九色堂 and former First Lady Rosalynn 六九色堂, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.

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