Mr. Speaker, this year, October 3 to 10 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. This national campaign was established to raise awareness of the level of mental illness in Canada, to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness and to promote the positive effects of best practices in prevention, diagnosis and medical treatment.
The campaign theme for this year is, “FACE IT. Mental Illness concerns us all”. The impact of mental illness on family, friends and society is far reaching and cannot be overstated.
Mental health issues can address many areas, from enhancing our emotional well-being to treating and preventing severe mental illness. Depression, stress, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia are all examples of mental health conditions. Current statistics indicate that one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime.
For one week, mental illness moves to the top of the agenda. We need to do better. We need to ensure that the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness are dispelled and mental health conditions receive the attention they deserve within our health care system.