End the stigma

Dear sir:
Mental Illness Awareness Week will be celebrated this year from Sept. 30-Oct. 6, with the theme “Face It: Mental Illness Concerns Us All.”
This theme is sure to resonate with most Ontarians because mental illness has the potential to touch each and every one of us.
We need to examine how we treat some of the most vulnerable members of our communities—those with mental illness—and ask ourselves if we genuinely support our friends, family members, colleagues, and neighbours in their quest for wellness and recovery.
Do they have equitable access to quality mental health care and treatment, and the community supports and services necessary to facilitate their well-being?
Have we addressed the full gamut of social determinants of mental health, including timely access to the mental health system, access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, adequate income, opportunities for social inclusion, employment, and education?
And finally, have we strived to reduce and eliminate the stigma and discrimination that so many with mental illness experience in their day-to-day lives?
People can—and do—recover from mental illness with ready access to a broad constellation of personal and professional supports and services. The hope and encouragement provided by caring and inclusive communities also are essential to nurturing recovery.
We must challenge our own misconceptions and prejudices regarding mental illness to foster the growth of such communities across our province and country.
This is the surest way to reduce and eliminate the stigma and discrimination that so often stands in the way of individual recovery and continued wellness.
Sincerely,
Juanita Lawson
Patient advocate,
Psychiatric Patient
Advocate Office