Mental Health Week - Expert Comment Available

TORONTO, May 1, 2013 /CNW/ - May 6 -12, 2013 is Mental Health Week, a week designed to raise awareness and continue the conversation about mental health.

This theme for this year's Mental Health Week is youth mental health, with a special focus on the key role that parents and caregivers continue to play in the lives of youth. In Ontario, 1 in 5 children and youth are affected by a mental health issue. Disorders range from anxiety, depression and conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders, schizophrenia, and bi-polar disorder. Left untreated, mental health issues can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence, and even suicide.

Dr. Peter Szatmari, the Chief of the new Child Youth and Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and SickKids is available for expert comment on youth mental health issues and ways to find help.

For more information on Mental Health Week and for a list of events taking place across the country visit http://mentalhealthweek.cmha.ca/

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital, as well as one of the world's leading research centres in its field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental health and addiction issues. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre.

SOURCE: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Media Contact: Michael Torres, CAMH Media Relations [phone] or [email protected]