Dear Mr./Madame President,

With the upcoming election, multiple issues of utmost importance have been addressed. Your stances on abortion, LGBT rights, and the U.S. economy have garnered you the necessary votes to lead the nation. Yet there is one issue I can’t help but ponder about. How could you, as President, help to remove the rising social stigma that coincides with mental health?

43.8 million adults experience some form of mental health problem within a year; that translates to 1 in 5 adults facing this challenge. Help is seldom to be offered and most often those afflicted fail to seek treatment for fear of judgement. No one is willing to ask for help or speak up about what they’re battling. The fear of being labeled as “crazy” or worse often stalls any desire to be open about their current condition. Only 41% of adults living with a mental disorder sought treatment last year.

For youths, 21.4% will experience a serious mental illness within their lives (Numbers, By The. "NAMI." : National Alliance on Mental Illness. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.. Yet despite the prevalence in society, the acknowledgement is nearly nonexistent. I believe that the government needs to play a stronger part in the healing process. For example, increased awareness beginning at an early age and lectures given could significantly increase the odds of those suffering wanting to reach out. The fact that a person doesn’t have to be alone in this fight and knowing that alone could significantly sway the numbers of treatment sought. It is important to let the people afflicted know, you will never give them up.

Increased programs and public information about mental health could make a world of difference. If we start informing people at an early age of signs, symptoms, and resources, the way America handles suicide could be completely recapitulated. I hope that whatever you do with your time in office, you use your power to address this growing problem in America.

Sincerely,

Maggie L

http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-By-the-Numbers