STATE HOUSE, BOSTON , SEPT. 30, 2004.

The Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health Dr. Elizabeth Childs Hosts an Anti-Stigma Event to Kick off Mental Illness Awareness Week in the Great Hall at the State House

NAMI-Mass President Phil Hadley spoke to a crow of over 200 mental health advocates. Senator Susan Tucker and Representative Antonio F.D. Cabral also spoke.

Massachusetts is among eight states selected by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) to pilot multi-media public education efforts to raise awareness about the stigma of mental illness. This project, called The Elimination of Barriers Initiative (EBI), will lay the foundation for other states in their work to change public attitudes regarding mental illnesses. The goals of the campaign are to encourage those who may have symptoms to feel comfortable seeking help and to demystify mental illness by giving the public a better understanding of its prevalence.

Because of the negative conclusions some people draw about those with diseases like depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder, many individuals avoid treatment and hide their symptoms, state Department of Mental Health Commissioner Elizabeth Childs said. "We hear the numbers, we read the statistics, but the fact is, mental illness affects nearly every family in America ," Childs said. "Stigma remains the most significant barrier to people seeking treatment for mental illness."