Stigma and rigid gender norms prevent adolescent boys from having honest conversations about their mental health during a uniquely complex, challenging, and formative period of their lives. This was evidenced by interviews Grassroot Soccer (GRS) conducted with 24 adolescent boys and young men in Alexandra, South Africa.
Across interviews, young men said that they have little or no exposure to mental health information, are discouraged from being vulnerable and seeking help, and face rigid societal expectations about what it means to be a man – including pressures to succeed financially, hide their weaknesses, and act tough.
But how would these young men themselves discuss these findings in their own words – and in a style, language, and format that resonates with other young people?
To find out, GRS worked with adolescent male Coaches and program participants in Alexandra to transform the findings from these interviews from a traditional research report into a format of their choosing: an amapiano-style rap song (a popular South African genre) and stop-motion music video called I Salute You.
Watch the video and read more about the process here.