Let’s Talk About It!
Consumers’ Health Awareness Network Newfoundland and Labrador (CHANNAL) works to combat the isolation that often surrounds people living with mental illness. Because of the stigma surrounding mental health issues, individuals with a mental illness often feel lonely and ashamed. This is part of the reason why although one in five Canadians will experience mental illnesses in their lifetime, only one third of those affected seek help.
CHANNAL wants to change that by encouraging people to talk about mental illness. They are working to create a community of understanding and encourage a culture of communication. Advertising, media releases, websites and brochures can all be effective methods to disseminate information and raise awareness. But how do you get people to talk about something that has been typically been treated as a taboo subject? You think ‘outside the box’, pique people’s interest and start the conversation. CHANNAL started the “Let’s Talk about It” campaign by printing t-shirts with the words “let’s talk about it” written on the front. The phrase is meant to encourage a question, “let’s talk about what?” the answer, mental illness. The campaign was launched during the 2010 Mental Illness Awareness Week. CHANNAL encourages anyone who knows and cares about someone with a mental illness to wear one of these t-shirts and to share their knowledge and experiences with anyone who asks.
“We want people to know what effect mental illness has, not only on the individual affected but on the people closest to them as well.”
- Paula Corcoran, Volunteer Spokesperson
By raising awareness of what mental illness is, and the wide variety of people it affects, CHANNAL hopes to decrease the social stigma attached to mental illness, and encourage open and honest communication. CHANNAL has sold more than 2000 shirts to 60+ locations around Newfoundland and Labrador. The organization has grown exponentially in the last 2 years, from one employee to an expected 10 employees by September 2011. With a little innovative thinking, a dedicated staff and volunteers, and a desire to affect positive change, CHANNAL illustrates that mental illness is something that affects many families and strives to open up the lines of communication within our communities.
“We strive to raise awareness in all of our communities about the issues and concerns that people living with mental illness face each day.”
Just last month CHANNAL launched their new logo and website. Find out more at: http://channal.ca/
By: Chandra Kavanagh