To place childhood mental health concerns top of mind in Central Texas—and beyond, One in Five Minds turns its attention to our fingertips.
Dear Reader: The following article is the product of a collaboration between One in Five Minds and this website’s parent company, Wildflower Media Group. The non-profit’s sponsorship of this piece supports our larger mission to provide thoughtful, responsible coverage of the Hill Country region.
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This May San Antonio’s One in Five Minds advocacy campaign is presenting its annual “Maynicures” awareness initiative, part of the nationwide Mental Health Awareness Month.
Through Maynicures, Texans are encouraged to paint one fingernail on each hand a different shade from the rest, all to symbolize that one in five children experiences mental illness. Participants are also encouraged to share their manicures via social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etcetera) using the #Maynicures hashtag and tagging One in Five Minds (@1in5minds).
One in Five Minds itself is a program of San Antonio’s Clarity Child Guidance Center, a non-profit resource providing crisis assessment, in-patient hospitalization, day treatment and outpatient services for kids ages 3-17.
“Maynicures began four years ago. We were looking for a way to start a conversation about children’s mental health that was fun, interactive, and visible,” said Michele Autenrieth Brown, Clarity CGC’s vice president for marketing and development via an email interview. “We know Moms are more likely to make the healthcare decisions in a family, and we want folks to understand the signs and symptoms and that it is okay to ask for help.”
Brown added that although the month-long event is based in the Alamo City, social media posts and photographs extend the conversation beyond our region. “We were thrilled last year when our partner Kendra Scott showcased their nail color with a ‘1 in 5 Maynicure’ last May.”
With a big kick-off party scheduled this year at The Witte Museum (details below), Maynicures has grown considerably in a short time.
“Maynicures started in a small salon four years ago, and we have outgrown our venue just about every year as word spreads about the kick-off event and the concept. Last year, more than 31,000 people engaged with us on Facebook. Our dedicated page where people could learn more and sign up to participate had more than 3,200 people visited and close to 300 people sign up,” Brown said, adding that in the past five years, “We have seen a general increase in awareness as a result of the One in Five Minds campaign. We can also see more people across the country talking about mental illness. Recently Mariah Carey and Carson Daly went public with their individual stories. We feel like the climate is more welcoming and accepting, and people are starting to get comfortable with the topic because they know they can talk about it. That starts in communities just like ours. We need to understand that mental health is just as important as physical health.”
The numbers of people, especially children, affected by mental health issues are staggering and rising—and proof that initiatives like One in Five Minds and Maynicures are needed to build greater public awareness.
“We know one in five kids has an emotional, behavioral or mental illness–that’s 80,000 in Bexar County alone,” said Brown. “More than 60 percent of those kids are not getting the treatment they need for three reasons: stigma around mental health, access to care and the ability to pay for treatment. Without treatment, more than half of those kids turn to alcohol and drugs to self medicate, can drop out of school, and even become incarcerated. Suicide is the second leading killer of our kids. But we know treatment works! When you treat kids when they are kids, you are giving them tools to be resilient adults.”
Whether or not one’s own family is affected directly by childhood mental illness, of course, the annual Maynicures campaign is a novel way for everyone show support and reduce social stigma around the topic. The 2018 Maynicures kick-off party is designed to be fun, too. Hosted at The Witte Museum on Sunday, May 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the event will feature on-site DIY manicures, food and non-alcoholic drinks, Kendra Scott shopping, and more. It’s free, but pre-registration is required via EventBrite.com–and a $10 donation will be appreciated. Full details can be found on 1in5minds.org.
Another way to show support? Grab a group of friends and throw a party of your own.
“We have had an advocate throw a birthday party for herself in an art gallery with a DIY Maynicure station,” said Brown. “Offices and schools have hosted Maynicures . . . but I would say the [most memorable ones were those] organized spontaneously by young people with their friends or at their school in response to the campaign. We have had moments at our events where Moms and their friends bring their daughters to get a Maynicure during our kick-off. We feel like they are all important because the goal is to start the conversation around children’s mental health, and this is a fun step.”
Explore More
• For more on the 2018 Maynicures program and how you can get involved, visit Maynicures.org.
• To learn more about the signs and symptoms of children’s mental illness, visit ClarityCGC.org and 1in5Minds.org. Most importantly, talk with your family doctor or pediatrician if you have questions or concerns.
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