The B.C. Parliament Buildings will light up in green to mark World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 from dusk till 1 a.m.
According to a request by the BC Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC), the ceremonial entrance, front fountain, back fountain and Confederation Garden Park and waterfall in the parliament premises will be lit in green.
Vancouver Convention Centre district markers and cauldron arms too will light up to mark the day.
Green is the colour associated with mental health, and the target of this effort is to create awareness, break down the stigma surrounding it and encourage the public to seek professional help when required.
With the campaign “Be kind to your mind”, BCACC staff will sport T-shirts with this message on the parliament steps on Friday at 7 p.m.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, between 19.6% and 26.2% of the B.C. population (close to one million people) who turn 40 have a tendency to develop mental health issues every year.
It is estimated that 84,000 children and youth in B.C. have a diagnosed mental disorder, yet less than one-third of those children are receiving mental health services, meaning as many as 58,000 children in the province are not receiving the treatment they need.
This delay of treatment services to those who need it costs the economy an estimated $6.6 billion annually due to long-term disability claims, hospital stays and incarceration.
World Mental Health Day is an annual awareness and advocacy campaign initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992. The overall objective of the day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
