Letters / Correspondance

Mental Illness Awareness Week

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 155: 634

The Canadian Psychiatric Association (CPA) is gearing up for the 5th annual Mental Illness Awareness Week, which will take place October 13 to 19, 1996. The theme of this year's campaign is "Mental Illness: Teamwork in Service Delivery." This theme will be highlighted in a variety of events held across the country during the week.

As president of the CPA, I encourage CMAJ readers to join the CPA and its partners (the Schizophrenia Society of Canada, the Depression and Manic Depression Association of Canada, the National Network for Mental Health and the Canadian Mental Health Association) in becoming involved in the week's events and in supporting volunteers in their community. Many physicians have no doubt experienced, as I have, the public misunderstanding of the role of mental health care professionals and the damaging effects of the image problem that results from this misunderstanding. Mental Illness Awareness Week, with its theme of teamwork, provides an excellent opportunity to reduce this stigma. By developing closer affiliations between psychiatric associations and other professional and advocacy groups, we can not only enhance our public image and foster constructive liaison with partner organizations but also increase understanding among Canadians of mental illness, its symptoms and treatments.

For more information, please contact the CPA at 800 267-1555; fax 613 234-9857; miaw@medical.org.

Diane Watson
President
Canadian Psychiatric Association
Ottawa, Ont.

| CMAJ September 15, 1996 (vol 155, no 6) |