By Daniel Lithwick,

Facts (from Bell Let’s Talk website) – more can be seen at: Bell Let’s Talk Website

–       2 in 3 people suffer in silence fearing judgment and rejection – Canadian Medical Association

–       1 in 5 Canadians will experience a form of mental illness at some point in their life – Canadian Institute of Health Research

–       Only 49% of Canadians said they would socialize with a friend who has mental illness– Canadian Medical Association

“Bell Let’s Talk” is an outstandingly positive program that aims to make strides in the area of mental health through awareness, education and the reduction of stigma. They run their platform on a program of four pillars: Anti-Stigma, Care & Access, Workplace Health, and Research.

This program has gained more attention as of late, as they recently hosted their “Bell Let’s Talk Day” in which Bell donates money each time someone shares their hashtag “Bell Let’s Talk” on Facebook or Tweets it out. This year – January 28th, 2015 – a record breaking 122 million tweets, texts, Facebook shares and phone calls were made amounting to a $6.1 million dollar donation.

This day is excellent for awareness, but as a population we must not just be aware of this issue once per year. Considering the high prevalence of mental illness and the stigmatism associated we must take it upon ourselves to be educated on the issue and try our best to understand how we can help those afflicted. The chances are that everyone single one of us has at least one family member and friend with a mental health issue. Breaking the silence and finding out if there’s any way you could help could be incredibly impactful.

It’s been excellent to see the athletic world get involved with this. Clara Hughes, one of the top Canadian Olympic athletes of our time, has been very open about her struggles with mental health, and a huge proponent of this program and awareness. We think of athletes, especially elite ones, as above-human in some regards, and it is unfair to make assumptions about them. Although many athletes are “mentally tough” – i.e strong character and fortitude – they could also be suffering from the various forms of mental illness. This doesn’t mean they aren’t “mentally tough” rather that they are struggling with a common disease and they might need help. Mike Babcock, head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, sat down with TSN to discuss mental health in generally and more specifically the misconception of that those afflicted are weak. He also discussed experiences in the past in which he had players speak with him about mental illness and how important he felt it is to have these discussions.

Relating these issues to Cardiology – 15-20% of heart attack victims qualify for a major depressive disorder, and depression is 3 times more common that the general population in those who have had a heart attack (1). Development of mental health issues can occur as co-morbidity to cardiovascular disease and other illness and as a society we must be aware of this potential.

Reference:

Williams, R. B. “Depression After Heart Attack: Why Should I Be Concerned About Depression After a Heart Attack?” Circulation 123.25 (2011): E639-640.