Gerard Way Performing for a Virtual Mental Health Event 'Unwound & Unplugged'
Covid-19 has caused quite enough chaos physically and mentally. Hoping to raise awareness for mental health, My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has joined host Dr. Mike Friedman and artists Julien Baker of Boygenius and DeathByRomy in a virtual event called Unwound & Unplugged. The event, which aims to bring support to individuals experiencing mental illness, takes place on March 2nd, National Day of Unplugging. Along with live performances, the event is said to include an informative panel of mental health experts and fun prizes for attendees to win.
The grand prize includes a zoom A&R session with renowned and Grammy award-winning producer, Rob Cavallo, who has worked with artists such as Paramore, Green Day, and My Chemical Romance. Smaller prizes include an iTunes gift card and cellphone sleeping bags-- that's right, sleeping bags for your mobile device.
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 American adults and 17% of American youth are diagnosed with at least one mental disorder per year. Worldwide that is 970 million people who have at least one mental illness. (Our World in Data) As the pandemic continues to cause havoc, it has been predicted that these numbers will only go higher, becoming even more common for mental illness to occur.
In fact, in a recent study, it was found that 40% of US adults have noticed a struggle in mental health since the beginning of the pandemic lockdown procedures. As we make it almost a year since the world shut down we can only expect an increase in mental illness cases. (CDC) Mental illness will always be relevant, and now so, more than ever it is crucial to be proactive and take action in helping cope with mental health disorders. You can watch Unwound & Unplugged on March 2nd at 8 PM EST/5 PM PST on the Consequence of Sound Facebook page. Those entering the contest must be 18 or over and living in the US.
