Public Awareness:  Say It Out Loud

To increase awareness of mental health as a vital component of children’s overall health and wellbeing,  the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership and the Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Mental Health have joined together to launch the Say it out Loud campaign.

The Say it out Loud campaign is based on current research indicating that the best way to address the misperceptions associated with mental illness is by giving people the opportunity to engage with one another on the subject in a meaningful way and to share their experiences and knowledge. The campaign is using the stories of real people in advertisements being distributed to newspapers and radio stations in every county of the state, and through videos and information featured on the campaign’s new website, www.mentalhealthillinois.org. 

“There are so many things we can do to promote good mental health in our children, starting when they are infants, to encourage and support their social and emotional development, “said Barbara Shaw of the Illinois Violence Prevention Authority and Chair of the Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership.  “This campaign urges parents and caregivers to initiate conversations about their child’s social and emotional development with people they trust, such as a  pediatrician, and to ask for help when they need it.”

The campaign has five steps every Illinois resident can take to promote good mental health for themselves, their children, and the people they care about:

• Talk with someone who seems stressed out or down.  Let them know you care.

• Ask for help from someone you trust if you think you or your child might need it.

• Speak with your child’s doctor or teachers about how to encourage your child’s social and emotional development.

• Encourage policy leaders to make children’s mental health a top priority

• Find out how you can promote good mental health by visiting the campaign’s website, www.mentalhealthillinois.org