What goes unseen

Look around your home, workplace or social group. Think about your neighbours or extended relatives. Consider the people you interact with everyday.

Chances are one in five of the people you just thought about will personally experience a mental illness in their lifetime.

This is Mental Health Week across Canada.

Like cancer or diabetes, everyone knows someone with a mental health issue. The difference may be that sometimes mental illness aren't talked about as often and you may never know which 20 per cent of the people you know are dealing with it.

The statistics give a lot to think about.

Eight per cent of adults will experience major depression at some time in their lives, according to a Health Canada report from 2002. One per cent of Canadians will experience bipolar disorder (or "manic depression"). Anxiety disorders affect five per cent of the population, causing mild to severe impairment.

The economic cost of mental illnesses in Canada was estimated at nearly $15 billion more than a decade ago and it's hard to image that tally has decreased in the last 10 years.

Nearly a quarter of all deaths among 15-24 year olds are the result of suicide, and its 16 per cent of deaths among 25-44 year olds. Suicide continues to be a leading cause of death in both men and women from adolescence to middle age.

With numbers like that, it's even more disturbing to hear that almost half of those who feel they suffer from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor about the problem. There is still significant stigma attached to mental illnesses that can make a challenging situation even more difficult and actually prevent people from seeking help.

While mental illness may have come further out of the shadows than it was in decades past, it's still not something openly talked about or fully understood in many circles.

Given the prevalence of mental illness, it's time we took a look at our attitudes towards it and start talking about how to make things better. Mental Health Weeks seems like a good time to start the conversation.

editor@gulfnews.ca