More than a science: breaking the stigma of mental health

UAlberta medical students are stimulating conversations around eliminating the stigma associated with mental illness during the ninth annual Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) March 24-March 28.

During MHAW, several events will take place on campus. Keeping with past years, this year will include a seminar series and a booth fair. The lunchtime seminar series takes place in Katz Lecture Theater (Katz 1-080) from noon to 1 p.m. and will feature a discussion about a different mental illness each day. The booth fair will take place on Monday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will give students the opportunity to learn about support services offered by local mental-health organizations, including the Schizophrenic Society of Alberta, the Canadian Mental Health Association and Centre for Autism Services Alberta. More details about these events can be found at the end of the article.

"I hope that these stories will give mental illness a face and expand our understanding beyond diagnostic criteria," said Shayna McNeill (MD'16), a MHAW 2014 organizer.

Veronica Lepp, second-year medical student and MHAW organizer, says this year's events will focus more on breaking down stigmas, rather than discussing strategies to maintain good mental health. To this end, the agenda has two new additions that Lepp and McNeill hope will inspire students to start talking about the effects of mental health rather than the causes.

"These are the sort of stories that wouldn't come out in a doctor's office but give richness and meaning to the picture of mental health," McNeill says.

"I think there are lots of opportunities in other areas to do things related to work-life balance," Lepp explained.

According to Mental Health Canada, 20 per cent of the population regularly struggles with their mental health and every Canadian will be touched by mental illness during their lifetime.

Monday evening, students will be treated to the personal recount of Jocelynn Gray (MD '15) who will discuss her experiences with depression.

"It's an uplifting message. Getting into medical school is a really difficult thing to do without mental-health struggles," Lepp noted. "If you get help, you can get better and do great things with your life."

One event that already has students talking is the informal social night on Wednesday, March 26. Students from across campus are invited to Dewey's, where their classmates will talk about own mental health struggles. Lepp and McNeill hope the open conversation and supportive environment will remind students that they are never alone, despite how they may feel. McNeill, who says mental illness is pervasive in her family, plans to speak during the informal night.

Students who are interested in speaking or purchasing tickets ($5 each) can contact Shayna McNeill at sdmcneil@ualberta.ca for more information.

"We're not just telling stories," Lepp said. "We're telling a bit about what these illnesses are."

Mental Health Awareness Week 2014 events schedule