This month's Milwaukee Magazine examines mental health issues in Wisconsin. Personal essays, one by sports journalist TrenniKusnierek and the other by college student Molly McKenzie, are only two facets of the wide-ranging series.
Claire Hanan, who edited the stories that compile the Mind Matters feature, explains that when the magazine was exploring options for covering mental heath, one key component was necessary. "We knew from the very outset that personal stories really had to be a driving part of the package," she explains. "Probably the second biggest challenge was finding people willing to talk about at length, pen to paper, and also be pretty honest and open about some tough experiences."
The feature looks at the lack of access to care for Hispanic and black communities, education, insurance complications and the stigmas that surround mental health. "That stigma manifests in different ways as you go through life," says Hanan. "We laid out many different issues that I'm hoping at least become the start of talking points."
