Breaking the silence regarding mental illness: opening up surely helps

The Mental Illness Foundation sends a message of hope to the public

MONTREAL, May 1, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - From May 7 to 13, during the 61^th Mental Health Week, the Mental Illness Foundation invites Quebecers to break the isolation surrounding mental illness and reminds them of the importance of paying attention to the signs and symptoms of depression, so that they may help a person in psychological distress.

At any given time in Québec, one in five people is affected by mental illness, most often in the form of anxiety or depression. These illnesses trouble the teenager haunted by suicidal thoughts, create havoc within the family where one parent oscillates between manic and depressive episodes, and isolate the grandmother who has lost the will to live. The Mental Illness Foundation urges all of these people as well as their loved ones to express their psychological distress to someone they trust or to a health care professional in order to get help and support. Stop suffering in silence: Opening up surely helps.

Signs and symptoms of depression*:

• You are no longer yourself and others don't recognize you anymore;
• You cry for no reason;
• You have lost all interest in your favorite activities;
• You are not able to function normally;
• Your concerns are persistent, intense and do not disappear over time;
• You have sleep disturbances;
• You feel extremely fatigued;
• You isolate yourself more and more;
• You can't find the motivation to go on living.

How to break the isolation?

• Choose the right person to talk to;
• Find the right moment and place to talk;
• Describe the behaviours or changes that concern you;
• Seek help from a health professional (doctor, nurse, psychologist, etc.).

Do you need help finding the right mental health resource? Thanks to its referral service, the Mental Illness Foundation can recommend resources that provide help and support anywhere in Québec:

• Website: http://www.fondationdesmaladiesmentales.org/en/
• Phone: [phone] ext. 222
• Email: [email protected]

* These signs and symptoms cannot be used to establish a medical diagnosis. If you experience several signs and symptoms over a long period of time, we suggest you consult a health care professional. 

About the Mental Illness Foundation
Founded in 1980 by Dr. Yves Lamontagne, the Mental Illness Foundation's mission is to prevent mental illness in order to reduce the suffering of afflicted people and their loved ones by mobilizing individuals and society as a whole. For more information on the Foundation, mental illness and available resources, please visit the Foundation's website at www.mentalillnessfoundation.org.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

The Mental Illness Foundation is pleased to offer the media interview opportunities with their scientific spokespersons:

• Dr. Martin Tremblay, Co-director of the Expertise NeuroSciences clinic and an intake psychiatrist at the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM). He is currently Chairman of the Mental Illness Foundation's Board of Directors.
• Dr. Stéphane Kunicki, Psychiatrist and Co-founder of the Montreal ADHD Clinic. He is well known for his expertise in adult ADHD, depression, anxiety, OCD, phobias, post-traumatic stress and personality disorder.
• Dr. Édith Labonté, Chief of Emergency Psychiatry at Hôpital Enfant-Jésus of the Centre hospitalier universitaire affilié de Québec. She is also a professor and internship supervisor in the department of psychiatry at Université Laval, where she teaches courses on suicide, violence, psychiatric emergencies and crisis intervention.
• Dr. Mylène Bédard, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Faculty of Medicine, Université de Sherbrooke. She is very active within the Association des médecins psychiatres du Québec (AMPQ) where she sits on various committees (forensic psychiatry, communications, staffing). Her field of expertise is depression.
• Dr. Karine Igartua, Director of Emergency Psychiatric Services at the McGill University Health Centre, in addition to being a psychiatrist at the Montreal General Hospital and Co-director of the McGill University Sexual Identity Centre (MUSIC).
• Dr. Frédéric Benoit, child psychiatrist at Hôpital Charles LeMoyne and Clinical Professor at Université de Sherbrooke. His specialties include mental disorders during adolescence, psychiatric emergencies, severe mental illness, personality disorders, severe behaviour disorders and the assessment of dangerousness and parenting skills.

& INTERVIEWS:
Sophie Barbeau
Communication Advisor, Mental Illness Foundation
[email protected] 
514 529-5354, ext. 229
Cell: 514 652-3467