Governor proclaims May as Mental Health Awarenes Month

By Jamie Durant
Morning News Health/Environmental Reporter
Published: May 17, 2008

May is Mental Health Awareness month in South Carolina, according to a proclamation from Gov. Mark Sanford.
The announcement comes on the heels of the recent case of a Chesterfield County teenager facing several state and federal charges, including attempting to use weapons of mass destruction.
Eighteen-year-old Ryan Schallenberger is accused of plotting a suicide bombing at Chesterfield High School. His parents said they tried to find help for their troubled son, but were unable to do so.
Diane Revels-Flashnick, executive director for the Federation of Families of South Carolina, said recognizing and treating mental illness in children and teens is the key to preventing tragedies from striking.
“Early identification and intervention of children who may be in need of treatment for mental health needs is the best way we can make a difference,” she said. “Most often, if a child receives early treatment, they can go on to become productive members of society as they grow and become adults.”
One in every five children nationwide is estimated to need some type of mental health services. In South Carolina, 135,000 students are in need of mental health services.
John Hutto, director of public affairs at the S.C. Department of Mental Health, said although the governor’s proclamation is new, recognition of May as mental health month is not.
“May as Mental Health Month has been celebrated around the country for many years,” he said. “It is to let people know that help is available and that treatment works.”
Throughout the state during May, mental health centers will conduct programs at schools, as well as holding walks, Hutto said.
Roughly 800,000 people in South Carolina are living with some form of mental illness — and many of them don’t know where to turn for help, he said.
“Most people don’t get help because they don’t know how to access services or they are ashamed of the stigma associated with mental illness,” Hutto said.
He said mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, and those who have it must reach out for the help they need.
“The basic message is that you should get help and that treatment works,” Hutto said. “Mental illness is like any other illness: there is medicine available and treatment available.”
Stuart J. Shields, assistant director of Pee Dee Mental Health Center, said the stigma surrounding mental illness can lead to people not seeking help when they need it.
“Fighting the stigma of mental illness has been an ongoing struggle within the field of mental health,” he said. “It creates a sense of superior ‘us’ group and a devalued ‘them’ group, resulting in loss of status in the community.”
Shields said th Pee Dee Mental Health’s goal is to inform as many people as possible about the work being done there and how they can help keep families intact, maintain employment or prevent an unnecessary psychiatric hospitalization.
The Pee Dee Mental Health Center’s Client Advisory Board held a celebration to promote awareness and recognize the many accomplishments of people living with mental illness in the Pee Dee Wednesday in Timrod Park.
Also, to coincide with Sanford’s announcement, the Art of Recovery gallery will feature a collection of work from mentally ill artists through June 15 at the Columbia Museum of Art.