A new campaign launched by the American Psychiatric Association Foundation aims to change the conversation around mental wellness and illness from anti-stigma to prioritizing mental health in the same way we have prioritized physical health.
APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D. said: “we all know there is no health without mental health. [This campaign is about] saying to the medical community and to patients everywhere, ‘Don’t ignore your mental health. You may feel like you can work through it, but would you work through a broken leg or diabetes?’”
An important part of the campaign will be partnering with patient advocacy groups and allied medical groups. Listening to and respecting each other and learning from the lived experience of recovery from mental illness as well as giving a better understanding of the experience and observations of health care practitioners is key to getting people the best recovery possible.
The public information campaign focuses on getting out the word that you can ask for help, receive help and get better. You don’t have to suffer in silence. The APA hopes that this campaign will reach into homes and workplaces, allowing for better communication and better understanding, all towards a future in which everybody knows that “mental health care works.”
Watch a short video about the campaign here: