KNOWLEDGE & INSIGHTS

Help End the Stigma of Mental Illness. Oct. 5-11 is Mental Health Awareness Week

An estimated 43.8 million American adults – nearly one in five –– experienced mental illness in 2013, but only 34.6 million received treatment, according to the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And of the 2.6 million kids (ages 12 to 17) who had a major depressive episode, less than 40 percent got help.

Let’s improve those statistics. As we mark Mental Health Awareness Week starting Sunday, NewBridge Services urges you to join the movement to end the stigma of mental illness, so people get the treatment they need to enjoy fulfilling lives.

• Learn the facts about mental illness and when you hear or read something that isn’t true, speak up!
• If you suspect someone is suffering in silence, urge him to get help.
• Support efforts to provide community resources.
• Don’t label people by their illness.

Greater public awareness can remove barriers to treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling, contact NewBridge at newbridge.org or call toll-free at (888) 746-9333.