First lady Michelle Obama is calling for a stronger focus on ending the stigma surrounding mental illnesses, which she said is preventing people from getting treatment.
“We should make it clear that getting help isn't a sign of weakness — it's a sign of strength — and we should ensure that people can get the treatment they need,” Obama wrote in an op-ed published Wednesday in the Huffington Post.
The first lady, who has become a champion for physical activity and nutrition, urged people to consider their mental health to be just as important.
If untreated, she warned, mental illnesses can lead to otherwise preventable outcomes like suicide, telling the story of a young Navy veteran who tried to end his life but instead sought help.
“Sadly, too often, the stigma around mental health prevents people who need help from seeking it,” she wrote.
She called for the nation to get more aware of the signs of mental health issues, and for a willingness to have the “tough conversations” with people who might be suffering.
Obama announced earlier this year she would be taking on the complex issue of mental health as part of her “Campaign to Change Direction.”
The Obama administration has sought to increase access to mental health care as part of the Affordable Care Act.
[For more of this story, written by Sarah Ferris, go to http://thehill.com/policy/heal...ental-illness-stigma]
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