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CMHA Mental Health Week – “Get Loud About Mental Health”
2019 marks the 68th annual CMHA Mental Health Week, organized by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA). Each May, Canadians in communities, schools, and workplaces rally around CMHA Mental Health Week to challenge the stigma around mental illness and promote good mental health for all Canadians. The 2019 campaign core message is “Get loud about what mental health really is.”
CMHA conducted a study, looking at everything from western psychology to Indigenous knowledge, to discover what mental health means. What they found was that while feeling well means different things to different people, some things apply to all of us: in order to thrive, we all need a good sense of self, and we all need purpose, contribution, hope, resilience and belonging. We can all benefit from celebrating, promoting and acknowledging the role that good mental health plays in living a full and meaningful life.
Thankfully, progress is being made in the effort to raise awareness about the importance of good mental health and to reduce the stigma around mental illness. A recent survey* found that:
57% of Canadians believe that the stigma associated with mental illness has been reduced
compared to five years ago.
81% are more aware of mental health issues compared to five years ago.
70% believe attitudes about mental health issues have changed for the better compared
to five years ago.
So, what’s happening in your community to mark Mental Health Week? In addition to the online social media campaign to support CMHA Mental Health week, local CMHA offices in 330 locations are hosting hundreds of events and activities across Canada. These events range from seminars and open houses to film screenings and art shows, each organized and publicized by local CMHAs.
To find your closest CMHA location, visit https://cmha.ca/find-your-cmha
To download the Communications Toolkit or the School Toolkit, or to learn more about your own mental health and how to get involved in Mental Health Week, visit www.mentalhealthweek.ca
*Bell Canada (2015). Bell Let’s Talk: The first 5 years (2010-2015). Retrieved from
http://letstalk.bell.ca/letstalkprogressreport
