Creating hope out of tragedy

Active Minds was founded by Alison Malmon when she was a junior at the University of Pennsylvania following the suicide of her older brother, and only sibling, Brian.

Silence hurts us all

Brian Malmon was a smart, popular, and fun student through high school and college. In the beginning of his freshman year at Columbia University, he started struggling with depression and psychosis, but concealed his symptoms from everyone around him for three years. In the middle of his senior year, he returned home and began receiving treatment for what was later diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder.

His underlying depression was left untreated and only worsened as he continued to hide his distress from his friends. “The depression had created a space for him where he felt like he was the only one, that all of it was his fault,” says Alison.

A year and a half later on March 24, 2000, as Alison was wrapping up her freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, Brian ended his life.

Starting the conversation

Alison recognized that Brian’s story is the story of thousands of young people who suffer in silence; who, despite their large numbers, think they are totally alone. A majority of mental illnesses start between ages 14 and 24 when teens and young adults are in school, and suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students.

NSCS APUS

Raising Mental Health Awareness