Mental Illness Awareness Week

By Alma Barranco-Mendoza Ph.D.

The week of October 4 to 10 is Mental Illness Awareness Week in Canada.

The week was established by the Canadian Psychiatric Association in 1992 with the objective to raise awareness about the thousands of lives in Canada affected every day by mental illnesses and to eliminate the stigma associated with their treatment. 1 in 5 (6.7 million) Canadians suffer from a mental illness each year ª. The economic cost of mental health problems $51 billion, out of which $20 billion stem from the workplace ª. The goal is to help our society see mental health treatment as a normal part of everyone's overall health and wellness management.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes World Mental Health day every year on October 10. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact in our every day lives and in most people's mental health. To recognize this, the WHO has determined the impact of COVID-19 as this year's theme, recognizing the drastic change that has come to our daily lives because of it.

If you or a loved one has been feeling affected by this pandemic, here are some helpful links:

Sources:

a. Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health (CAMIMH) 2020 partnership kit. https://www.camimh.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/CAMIMHPartnershipKit2020-1.pdf