Five young Romands got together at the beginning of the year to create an association dedicated to mental health. ProSam wants to allow dialogue, disseminate information but also break the taboos that still exist on mental health. Exhibitions are planned in French-speaking Switzerland, to present their work, but also to encourage discussion on this topic.
An everyday topic
ProSam members describe mental health as a “continuum on which each individual navigates life periods.” “It is important to make it a daily topic, and not just a topic we talk about when we are very sick,” said Maé Biedermann, secretary of the association. Recent data released by the Federal Office of Health shows that between 2020 and 2021 hospitalizations for mental disorders increased by 26% among girls aged 10 to 24. For Maé Biedermann, the Covid crisis, the war in Ukraine and eco-anxiety are aggravating factors… but the Jura resident also believes that speech is freeing itself and that today girls and women dare to express more what they live and touch. “It’s less acceptable for men to talk about these topics… but when you’re ready to open up and it’s socially acceptable to talk about them, it leads more easily to consultations. »
For his first project, ProSam made a short film about post-traumatic stress… and healing. Testimony is therefore used as a means of prevention and wants to encourage exchanges, using art as a tool of expression. The short film will be visible during the exhibitions, first in Friborg and Lausanne, then perhaps elsewhere in French-speaking Switzerland, if ProSam finds the expected support. “We think that mental health is not a subject that is easy to understand… So going out to meet the public allows you to arm yourself better and have more resources,” explains Maé Biedermann. Find more information about ProSam here. /cto
