By SUSAN C. KLEIMAN
Published: October 8, 2013

October 6-12th marks the annual Mental Illness Awareness Week, established by Congress in 1990 as a time of engagement in public education about mental illness, which affects 1-in-4 adults and 1-in-5 youth (ages 13-18) in the United States each year.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness offers many suggestions for how to get involved, including raising awareness on Facebook and other social media platforms, participating in a NAMIWalk in your area, reading books or watching movies that profile mental illness, and having conversations about mental illness, treatment, and recovery with family members or friends.

National Depression Screening Day (October 10th) is also held annually during Mental Illness Awareness Week, and screening programs for depression and related mood and anxiety disorders will be offered for the military, on college and university campuses, and through community-based organizations and businesses.  You can take an online screening or locate a screening event near you by clicking here.

On behalf of the UNC Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, thanks for helping to educate those around you and raise awareness of mental illnesses such as eating disorders.