May is Mental Health Awareness Month

AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT

By His Excellency JOHN G. ROWLAND, Governor

WHEREAS, mental health is fundamental to the overall health of all youngsters and adults in Connecticut as it results in productive activities, fulfilling relationships with others, and the ability to adapt to change and cope with adversity; and

WHEREAS, the recommendations included in the Surgeon General’s Reports on Adult as well as Children’s Mental Health and by my Blue Ribbon Commission on Mental Health emphasize the importance of promoting mental health and the early identification of mental illness; and

WHEREAS, severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and severe anxiety disorders affect one in every five families annually; and

WHEREAS, severe mental illnesses are more common than cancer, diabetes and heart disease and their treatment accounts for 21% of all hospital inpatients on any given day; and

WHEREAS, the treatment success rate for schizophrenia (60%), for major depression (65%), and for bipolar brain disorders (80%) compare favorably to the rate for chronic physical disorders (50%) such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer; and

WHEREAS, scientific research is producing tremendous breakthroughs in the understanding of these brain disorders, resulting in more effective treatments that allow people to reclaim full and productive lives; and

WHEREAS, brain disorders continue to remain shrouded in stigma and discrimination from societal prejudice causing those who are affected by severe mental illness either to not seek care or to be cast as second-class citizens who unfairly receive far less employment opportunities than others suffering from equally debilitating physical disabilities; and

WHEREAS, Connecticut takes pride in its history of upholding the dignity and civil rights of all of its citizens, including those with disabilities such as psychiatric illness, now

THEREFORE, I, John G. Rowland, Governor, do hereby officially designate May 2001 as MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH in the State of Connecticut, to increase public awareness of the importance of mental health and the impact of severe mental illness, to promote greater understanding and hope for those who suffer from these disorders, and to pay tribute to all who devote their skill and expertise to the cause of better health for our citizen

Governor John G. Rowland