| May
is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This is not a celebration but a time dedicated to consider the serious statistics and hard reality of mental illness. One of five American adults and teenagers (aged 13-18) experience some kind of mental illness. 90% of suicide deaths are attributable to underlying mental health problems. Idaho consistently ranks very high in the number of suicide fatalities. Mental illness is treatable . . .but too often treatment is refused, avoided, unavailable, postponed or discontinued for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the societal stigma of mental illness diagnoses. The average delay between the onset of symptoms and intervention is 8-10 years during which time lives and communities are upended. To bridge the gap between a deficit of public awareness and the far reaching effects and toll of mental illness on families, communities and resources, a "Growing Our Understanding" public forum is scheduled for May 12 at the Grangeville Senior Citizen's Center (on the northside truck route) from 6-8:00 p.m. The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. A panel of regional professionals will lead the timely discussion of local mental health issues with a wide range of topics. What's working? What's not? The panelists include:      "It takes a village" to make a difference in the successful diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, especially in rural Idaho where funding and services are limited. Community awareness and involvement, interagency cooperation, adequate funding and coordinated support can assist in creating an environment of wellness for those afflicted and affected by mental illness. For more information about the forum or how to submit questions in advance, call 983 3763 or 983 2821. |
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