A report by journalist Florence Morin-Martel, from Dutywon a special mention in the En-Tête 2023 prize which rewards journalistic work in mental health.
The file “Incomparable exhaustion among social workers”, published on February 27, 2023, revealed the distress that reigns among these guardian angels responsible for watching over the mental health of the population. The journalist exclusively cited the results of a preliminary study led by Mélanie Bourque, of the University of Quebec in Outaouais.
The professor at the Department of Social Work concluded that the reform of the health and social services network, implementing a centralization of decisions, has worsened the morale of social workers. They are under pressure to treat a large number of patients in a context of reduced professional autonomy. The pandemic has exacerbated the phenomenon.
In the same category Reporting on mental health at work, journalist Marissa Groguhé, from The Presswon first prize for his report “Artists exhausted, tours canceled”.
Two Radio-Canada journalists were awarded in the Youth Mental Health Reporting category. Alexis Gacon won first prize for her work “Finding your place when you have Tourette syndrome”, while Myriam Fimbry received a special mention for “After dark ideas, musical creation”.
Growing interest
The Headlines Awards are presented by the Canadian Journalists’ Forum on Violence and Trauma, a charitable organization dedicated to the physical and emotional well-being of journalists, their audiences and those who are the subjects of their reports. The winners of the 2023 awards were chosen from 28 entries in both categories.
“The high number of nominations for these awards reflects the growing attention paid by journalists to mental health issues. Our guides on how to cover mental health issues sensitively contribute to the confidence needed to tackle this type of subject in the public interest,” said Cliff Lonsdale, president of the Forum.
“We also encourage the media to support the mental health of journalists themselves, because no one is safe,” he said.