Mental health project aims to stop stigma

Photo courtesy of www.gotosee.uk

SACRAMENTO, Calif. ― Look around you –
at work, at church, at the grocery store, in the park, during your next family
gathering. Someone you know is probably living with mental illness right now
and you do not even know about it. Why? Because the shame and discrimination
that surrounds mental illness can keep people from speaking out or seeking
help.

Roughly one in
every four adults and one in five children will experience a diagnosable mental
disorder during their lifetime. Mental illness affects every ethnic, racial,
cultural, economic and religious group and impacts individuals of all ages and
genders. In Sacramento County alone, it is estimated that nearly 355,000
residents are living with a mental illness, but research shows that only
one-third of those individuals will seek professional help because of stigma
and discrimination.

As part of its Mental
Health Services Act initiative, the Sacramento County Department of Health and
Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health Services (DHHS/DBHS) is launching
a countywide mental health promotion and stigma and discrimination reduction
project, to fundamentally alter negative attitudes and perceptions about mental
illness and emotional disturbance. This work will underscore that mental health
issues affect almost everyone and will promote community health and wellness
resources, and community support available throughout the county to foster hope
and recovery.

To kick off this
project, DHHS/DBHS is inviting the Sacramento County community to the “Changing
Attitudes, Changing Lives, Promoting Health and Wellness Celebration” on Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Sam Pannell Community Center, 2450 Meadowview
Road in Sacramento. The kickoff celebration is an opportunity to raise
awareness and spread hope about mental health issues and resources. Attendees
will have the opportunity to interact with various community service and health
organizations, and take advantage of available health screening services. The
event is free and open to everyone. All are welcome and invited to attend.

For more
information about the mental health anti-stigma project or the Health and
Wellness Celebration, please contact (916) 442-2331. If you or someone you know
is living with mental illness and would like more information about resources
available, call (916) 498-1000 or visit www.StopStigmaSacramento.org