Global Calgary is taking our show on the road to the Gray Family Eau Claire YMCA, which is hosting an important event highlighting the importance of physical and mental health.
Joins us as we embark on a new initiative: Mental Health Matters. Our journalists will dedicate time to covering stories about the significant and meaningful issues surrounding mental health.
Watch Linda Olsen and the Global News team live at the Eau Claire YMCA where the Calgary Counselling Centre and Calgary Chamber of Commerce are teaming up for the Sweat the City initiative.
The YMCA is a place known for its physical fitness activities, but the organizations also see the value in working out to help keep you mentally healthy. It’s hoped hosting the Sweat the City event at the YMCA will increase awareness about the link between the body and mind.
WATCH: Linda Olsen sits down with a young Calgary woman who shares her personal journey with depression and subsequent diagnosis of bipolar disorder. She talks about the impact it’s had on her life and loved ones as well as how she’s found help.
The event also marks National Depression Screening Day. Anonymous depression screening tests, developed by the Harvard Department of Psychiatry, will be offered at the YMCA on Oct. 2. The screening tool can also be found on the Calgary Counselling Centre’s website until Oct. 7.
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According to the Calgary Counselling Centre, 20 per cent of people in the city will face a challenge that impacts them emotionally, which – if left untreated – can lead to serious problems.
The centre’s statistics also show that 46 per cent of Albertans experience depression, adding that while depression is highly treatable, only half of those suffering seek help. We will explore some of the barriers that hold people back from getting treatment, like stigma, wait lists and uncertainty about how to get help. We will also examine the costly expenses that often hold people back.
We’ll take a look at how many children and youth are visiting emergency departments with mental health-related struggles and learn more about the help available for them. We’ll also get an update on what’s working and what needs improvement with the provincial mental health review, commissioned by the NDP government in 2015, from now-co-chair and Liberal MLA, Dr. David Swann.
Finally, we’ll introduce you to an inspiring young woman and her mother who share their journey with mental health struggles. They will take you through the dark times, their experience seeking treatment and explain how mental health can be an ongoing battle.
There are many ways you can reach out for help if you’re struggling with mental health issues. The Distress Centre will offer details on the services it offers, including its 24-hour helpline 403-266-4357 or 266-HELP, and its daily online chat.
Tune in tonight for Mental Health Matters on Global News at 5 p.m. and the Global News Hour at 6.
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