By Anna Nasirzadeh
Mental illness has been a problem we’ve faced for centuries but now, it is more prominent than ever. The suicide rate in North America has increased by a staggering 25% in the last twenty to thirty years, making it account for 24% percent of deaths of youth between the ages of 15 and 24 as well as 16% of all deaths among people ages 25 to 44. Yet, there is still an incredible amount of stigma and shame associated with mental illness as it is often seen as a form of weakness, or is simply seen as being less important than a physical illness. The shame of having a mental illness, and the fear of judgement, may prevent someone in need of help from seeking the necessary medical attention.
This semester at The Woodlands, the Prefects, as voted for by all of the students in the school, will be supporting a charity in relation to mental health awareness and treatment. The charity chosen for this year is called CAMH. CAMH, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, is one of the world’s leading research centres in its field as well as Canada’s largest mental health teaching hospitals. With a staff of over 3,000 physicians, clinicians, researchers, educators, and support staff, they offer care to over 34,000 patients every year. CAMH is dedicated to not only providing care to patients and researching new treatments, but also combating the stigma and shame that comes with a mental illness.
Mental illness and mental health stigma are serious problems that our society is facing, and it is about time that we dress them. About 11 suicides happen everyday in Canada alone and 1 in 5 people experience mental health problems or a mental illness in any given year. However, this is not a hopeless situation. Seventy to eighty percent of mental illnesses can be successfully treated if properly diagnosed and managed, early detection of a developing illness is possible and can be addressed.
Thus, the things that The Woodlands and its Prefects are doing are extremely important. Every small effort makes a large difference in the lives of millions of people with mental illness.
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