Here in Idaho, mental illness will affect one in five school-aged children --- 17,000 children and youth. One in ten of those cases, the mental illness will be so severe as to prevent that child from doing well at home, school or in the community. We know that less than one third of those who have a mental illness receive the care they need.

One of the reasons that more children and youth don’t get the care they need is because of the stigma associated with mental illness.  Parents and caregivers don’t seek help because they don’t want to subject their loved ones to the pain of discrimination.  How many of you have heard someone called “nuts”, “psycho”, “schitzo” or “loony”?

Words can stigmatize.  Stigma sets people apart – it says they are different from the majority and should be treated differently – it’s an invitation to discrimination.  But the fact is, people with mental illness are no different than the rest of us –they want to be judged by who they are and what they can do, not by their illness.

The Mind Matters Video and Curriculum Guide were developed to help teachers, councilors and administrators build awareness and understanding of mental illness in their schools.  Idaho students played an important part in the creation of the video and they offer valuable insight in how they wish to be treated and how they should treat others. 

Other tools in this anti-stigma campaign include the Art from the Heart traveling display and Words that Hurt, Words that Heal poetry book.

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Mind Matters:

Learning about Mental Illness

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Showing Support to Someone Close to You

Learn More About Mental Illness

Myths and Misconceptions about Mental Illness

Test Your Knowledge of Mental Illness in Idaho

Mental Illness Doesn't Have to be a Barrier

Anti-Stigma Do's and Don'ts

Mental Health Disorders

Being Alert to Mental Health Problems

Mentoring/Classroom Guide