Mary Alice Reporting –
Stigma surrounding mental health has declined but a new campaign is working to further reduce the negativity when it comes to seeking help.
October 10th is World Mental Health Day and the American Psychiatric Association Foundation (APAF) launched a new campaign, Mental Health Care Works, to continue to raise awareness.
Foundation Executive Director Rawle Andrews says data shows there’s still an ongoing mental health crisis in the country.
“We know that more than one out of five Americans struggles with some kind of mental healthcare condition. [We’re trying to] promote a really healthy nation for all of us, where we live, learn, work, worship, and play.”
Barriers, he says, that still exist is cost, comfort, and connectivity
Andrews adds that the campaign is targeting older generations through billboard advertisements and the younger generation through social media.
“Young adults and youth are much attuned to their whole being than we were in an older generation and so they’re comfortable at a younger age and a younger stage talking about their mental health needs or their whole health needs, whereas older adults tend to shy away from it.”
The overall goal is to encourage conversations to ensure people are prioritizing their mental health the same way they would physical health.
For more information on the campaign go to www.mentalhealthcareworks.org.
Local support can be found at www.empowertusc.com, or www.adamhtc.org.
The National Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline can be accessed by dialing 988.
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