How Lady Gaga & Her Mother, Cynthia Germanotta, Are Changing the Conversation Around Mental Health in Our Schools

1. Why was it so important for you and your daughter to start Born This Way Foundation?

My daughter and I have had the opportunity to travel all over the United States and the world. Everywhere we went, we heard stories from young people who said my daughter’s music saved their lives. They told us about how they sometimes felt sad, anxious, depressed, and alone but did not know where to turn. She truly relates to these young people that we meet because she experienced her own struggles in middle school and knows first-hand the lasting effects of pain.

My daughter is passionate about building power in young people so they are equipped to deal with their issues in a safe environment and so that they have the skills and opportunities they need to thrive. That is what drove us to launch Born This Way Foundation (BTWF).

At the Foundation, we work together with our incredible BTWF community to build a kinder, braver world that prioritizes mental wellness. Kindness is foundational to everything we do. How we treat one another, ourselves, and our communities impacts the health of our entire ecosystems. Bravery is important, too: the bravery to face your problems, to ask for help, or to reach out to a friend you think is struggling. I am so proud of my daughter for her bravery in sharing her personal story and encouraging others to get help, get involved, and know that there is hope. I’m proud of young people everywhere who are leading the movement to speak up about issues and break down stigma.

We focus on young people, not because they are our future leaders, but because they are our leaders today. My daughter and I are doing everything in our power through the Foundation to support them as they create the world they deserve. They’re not just fixing problems in society, they’re building an entirely new one that represents their resilience, diversity, and hope.

2. Suicide rates for U.S. teens and young adults are at a record high. To what do you attribute this and how do you hope Born This Way Foundation’s programs will intervene?

As someone who raised a daughter who struggled with her mental health, I admit that I wasn’t there for her in the way that she needed me. I didn’t know how to recognize the signs that my daughter was struggling beyond being a “moody” teenager. My daughter has told me since then that she just needed her experiences acknowledged and validated. We hear the same from so many young people we meet. Because of that, we stress validating the emotions and experiences of young people and looking to them for direction with an appropriate level of adult scaffolding. We survey, for example, youth perspectives on how digital communities can affect their mental health and their access to resources to support their mental wellness. Their voices inform our work, and our programs are aspirational and preventive by design.

Born This Way Foundation also partnered with the National Council for Behavioral Health to bring teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) to the United States for the first time. Adapted from an Australian program, teen Mental Health First Aid teaches high school students to identify and understand common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental wellness and help a friend who is struggling. Our research tells us that young people overwhelmingly care about the state of their mental wellness, but a third report a lack of reliable access to help. Programs like teen Mental Health First Aid bridge the gap between young people and the resources to thrive. Here’s what young people and my daughter had to say about tMHFA.

3. You launched the United for Global Mental Health initiative. What is it and why is it so imperative?

We are so proud to be a founding partner in this catalytic campaign. United for Global Mental Health (GMH) uses their platform, field experts, and resources to support the global effort to promote mental health. I am moved by how open Elisha [London], their CEO, is about her personal connection to their work ensuring everyone everywhere has someone to turn to for support. She is open about how her own struggles, treatment, recovery, and access to healing support systems drive her mission to make sure the rest of the world can receive help, too.

We also had the opportunity to work together at the launch of United for GMH’s “Speak Your Mind” campaign. “Speak Your Mind” asks participants to “speak up” on two levels — the systemic one and the interpersonal one — and each is important. Participants are encouraged to demand their country’s government prioritize investing in mental health. They’re also encouraged to start the conversation about mental health with family, friends, and communities-at-large. The more we speak out about mental health, the closer we get to ending the stigma. Being brave and speaking out is not only healing, but also reminds others that they’re not alone in what they’re feeling.

4. You were recently appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for the World Health Organization, after which you tweeted, “We face many challenges but there are more reasons for hope.” What are some of those challenges and what do you hope to accomplish?

First, I must say that I am so grateful to the World Health Organization and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus for this appointment. I am honored to take on the challenge of bringing the conversation around mental health to the global stage.

My daughter and I meet young people all over the world who always ask questions like: “When will we be able to bring our work to their countries?” “When can we convene urgently needed conversations around mental health?” “When can we help bridge the gap between young people who want to support their friends and themselves, but do not know where to turn for resources?” “When can we connect young people with a platform and meaningful opportunities to lead their communities?” This is my highest priority and this appointment gives me the opportunity to do that.

I am beyond excited to share more about what we have planned later this year.