Today, a mental health campaign was launched to raise awareness of mental illness and is addressed especially to teenagers.

According to Simon Crawford, chief executive at West London Mental Health NHS Trust, which runs the Mind Your Head programme, the schools programme was designed to deal with the stigma of mental illness and to make sure that youngsters, parents, as well as teachers are informed on “where to seek help with mental health-related issues.”

As part of Mind Your Head, students age 14 will talk to a special team about mental illness problems, will be helped to open their eyes to the reality of such disorders and told where they can go to seek help.

Joey Durel, the City-Parish President of Lafayette, declared October 5th-11th as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). Elements of the national public education campaign include a grassroots public education initiative, a nationally-distributed poster and bookmark series, according to the MIAW Web site.

The event aims at reaching "a point where people experiencing mental illness or addiction are offered the help they need, in its many forms, and are viewed as valued members of their communities, participating as much as they wish and are able to," Chair Commissioner Peter McGeorge said.

Mental illnesses, as behavioral patterns that cause distress or disabilities, include disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder or major depressive disorder. Mental illness sufferers are affected by high stress levels attributable to school, work, relationships they are involved in and pecuniary problems. They have a limited ability to live, work, study and even participate in daily activities. The disorders affect the way individuals think and their behaviors. However, they may currently recover due to improved science, enhanced community supports and diminished stigma.