BREWSTER – Noting that one in four Americans has a diagnosable mental health disorder in any given year, Putnam County is joining the National Day Without Stigma today. The National Day is a program of Active Minds, a national non-profit dedicated to changing the way society talks about mental health. The National Day coincides with Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs the first full week in October, this year from October 4 through October 10.
“Government’s role in society is to protect the well-being of its citizens, and we have a social and fiscal responsibility to help those with mental health issues” said County Executive MaryEllen Odell. “Unaddressed, these issues can lead to serious problems, even suicide.”
The county executive said this is the Year of the Family in Putnam and “our focus has been, and always will be, to keep the family unit together.” That is why the county established a suicide prevention task force and why it is important to reduce the stigma often links to mental illness, Odell said.
“Effective treatments are available for mental health disorders, just as they are for physical illnesses,” said County Health Commissioner Dr. Allen Beals. “When someone has a chronic pain or shortness of breath, they visit a physician and seek treatment. It should be the same with mental health issues. Help is available.”
Megan Castellano, executive director of the Mental Health Association in Putnam County, who also co-chairs the suicide prevention task force, said stigma “is a big stumbling block for both individuals and families seeking help.” She said mental health advocates and community members “need to emphasize that treatments work, and we need to work with primary care providers to increase and normalize mental health screenings as routine.”
