An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older—about one in four adults—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. As a way to shed light about the topic of mental health, Augusta State has partnered with several community groups to present the CSRA Mental Health Fair on Monday, April 27, from 4-7 p.m. in the Jaguar Student Activities Center Ballroom.
“The ASU Counseling Center is excited to partner with Medical College of Georgia and others in sponsoring this new event to educate the community about mental health issues,” says Shannon Stephens, ASU counselor and internship coordinator.
The health fair will feature educational displays, one-on-one talks with mental health professionals, and discussions on post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, bipolar disorder, addictions, eating disorder, suicide, and dementia.
According to the fair’s organizers, the focus is to promote a a patient- and family-centered care perspective to destigmatize mental health behavior and to educate the community about mental health issues.
In addition to the displays and talks, there will also be practitioner tables staffed by mental health professionals. The fair, which is free, is sponsored by ASU, the Augusta Coalition for Mental Health Advocacy, the MCG Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, and MCG Health, Inc.
For more information, call ASU’s Counseling Center at 706-737-1471.
Mar 22, 2009
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