Page 38 - CCCA 295084 Magazine_Summer 2019

{ insiDe eDge }

reFleCTionS oF A gloBAl

menTAl heAlTh AmBASSAdor

By Craig Kramer

Two fsh are swimming along when they happen upon a younger sador in February 2016. Since then, my
fsh. The younger fsh says, “Good morning, folks. Nice water we colleagues and I have come a long way in
creating a culture of inclusion and accep-
have today, eh?” The two older fsh swim on. eventually one turns tance at work, at home and beyond.
to the other and asks, “What the heck is water?” For example, we created the J&J Men-
tal Health Diplomats in April 2017, and in
its frst year, we recruited over 1000 em-
he point of the fsh story, which I rienced frsthand how mental health pri- ployees in 32 countries and have trained
adapted from David Foster Wallace, is mary and specialty care are not integrated, over 350 in Mental Health First Aid. We
Tthe most important realities are often and how the patient often falls through also co-founded the Global Coalition on
the hardest ones to see, and it can take the the cracks. We discovered the family must Youth Mental Health, which aims to am-
fresh eyes of a younger generation to notice become the healthcare system for their plify the many emerging voices on youth
them. Such is the case with mental health. loved one, and how this extra burden can mental health worldwide, and One Mind
Like the older fsh in this story, I be crushing, making you so tired you can- at Work, a global coalition of public and
learned about this issue from a younger not get up in the morning and go to work. private sector employers committed to
person, my daughter Katharine. She called It’s not just eating disorders: it’s depres- workplace mental health.
me on New Year’s Day a few years ago. I sion, anxiety, addiction, post-traumatic The world we are trying to create is one
answered, “Hey, Katharine, Happy New stress, postpartum depression, obsessive- where everyone can do what I did last New
Year! How’s it going?” compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, Year's Day: I hugged my daughter, who sur-
A man’s voice asked, “Are you Katha- schizophrenia and many more. Although vived that suicide attempt and is thriving.
rine’s father?” When I replied yes, he said, I am in the U.S., the problem is the same The good news is that when it comes
“This is the Boston Police Department. everywhere. to mental health, we have treatment op-
Your daughter tried to kill herself. We are How is this like “water”? For one thing, tions that work for many people, and re-
taking her to the hospital. You need to get mental illness is much more common search is bringing exciting new ones. The
here right away.” than we realize. Among lawyers, for in- younger fsh are also coming of age in
My daughter, who had been a top teen- stance, the American Society of Addic- high schools, universities and online com-
age soccer player in America, had her life tion Medicine published a study in 2016 munities, where these issues, this “water,"
interrupted by an eating disorder, and af- showing 28% suffer from depression (7% are more openly discussed. This genera-
ter 10 years she had given up hope that it among adults overall) and 19% have anxi- tion is spurring change. Now it is up to
would ever get better. ety (18% among adults overall). the older fsh to join them in supporting a
This is how I came to be Johnson & more inclusive, successful future for all. ❚
It was a long, diffcult quest for ad- Johnson’s frst Mental Health Ambas- Craig Kramer is Mental Health
“ Te world we are trying to create is one where globally by raising awareness, reducing stigma,
equate mental health services. We expe-
Ambassador and Chair, Global
Campaign for Mental Health, in
Neuroscience External Affairs at
everyone can do what I did last New Year's
Janssen R&D, a Johnson & John-
son company. His team seeks
” promoting research, improving access and ensuring
Day: I hugged my daughter, who survived
to transform mental health care
that suicide attempt and is thriving.
better patient outcomes. Prior to this role, Craig
held a variety of positions in global corporate and
government affairs at J&J and worked as a lawyer
in the U.S. Congress, a law frm and an interna-
tional human rights organization.

38 CCCa MaGazINe | SuMMer 2019 ÉTÉ