Fw: News.Mental.Illness
Bruce D. Burleson (anvil@quik.com)
Tue, 5 May 1998 17:34:22 -0400
----------
> From: Becky Dornon <becky@INAME.COM>
> To: SMARTREC@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
> Subject: News.Mental.Illness
> Date: Tuesday, May 05, 1998 2:59 PM
>
> MENTAL HEALTH IS IN SPOTLIGHT DURING MAY
> (St. Louis Post-Dispatch; 05/04/98)
>
> Dear Readers: Very few issues in our society involve more people or
make a
> greater impact on the success of our country than mental health. For
that
> reason, since 1953 May has been designated Mental Health Month in
America.
> When you consider that in any six-month period up to 45 million adult
> Americans are affected by emotional problems, you begin to sense the
need.
>
> Do you know that . . .
>
> * Mental illness will strike one in four Americans in a given year
without
> regard to age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion or economic status?
>
> * One in five children suffer from a diagnosable mental, emotional or
> behavioral disorder and one in 10 have a serious disorder that, left
> untreated, can lead to school failure, substance abuse and even suicide?
>
> * All mental disorders collectively make mental illness the most
prevalent
> health problem in America today, more common than cancer, and lung and
heart
> disease combined?
>
> * Mental illnesses are treatable, and a majority of people who seek
> professional help are successfully treated?
>
> Treatment effectiveness for mental disorders is favorable when
compared to
> treatment for common physical ailments?
>
> With these facts, would not everyone rally around? Would not laws
ensuring
> quality care and treatment of persons with mental illness receive
priority in
> our bodies of government? Would not money be allocated to provide
prevention,
> research and treatment? Would not the general public step forward and
give
> time and money to help defeat this terrible problem? Sad to say, this is
not
> true.
>
> While the Mental Health Association (MHA) comprises the largest and
oldest
> volunteer organization in our country concerned with the entire spectrum
of
> mental health/mental illness and while many others are involved, we have
a
> very long way to go before we can feel we have met the challenge.
>
> The stigma that surrounds mental illness makes it difficult for many
people
> to openly discuss the subject. Understanding the problems is a major
> difficulty. The lack of funding for quality services is constantly a
struggle.
> Yet, we are all in some way affected.
>
> The Public Education Committee of MHA strives to involve the
community in
> its efforts to raise awareness about all aspects of mental health and
mental
> illness. As co-chairs of this committee, we invite you to join our
efforts
> during Mental Health Month by:
>
> * volunteering at a mental health agency
>
> * reading or attending seminars to learn about mental health/illness
>
> * supporting the efforts of a mental health agency
>
> * being a friend to someone with a mental illness, or
>
> * assessing your own mental health and calling 773-1399 if you need
> additional resources. Step forward and say "count on me" to help assure
those
> millions of individuals who suffer from mental illness that we care and
will
> continue to care. Together we can break through the stigma.
>
> Regina Trotter
>
> Director of Business Affairs
>
> Hopewell Center, Inc.
>
> 531-1770
>
> Diane Ludwig
>
> Development Director
>
> Independence Center
>
> 533-4380 Ext. 671
>
> (Copyright 1998)
>
> _____via IntellX_____
>
>
> {A5:StLouisPostDispatch-0504.00804} 05/04/98