NAMI Albany plans program addressing suicide, mental health impact of social media

ALBANY – Albany area mental health advocates are looking to revive efforts to educate the community and spread the message that it’s OK to talk about mental illness beginning with a May 9 program.

The program, scheduled for 6:30-8 p.m. at Phoebe Northwest, located at 2336 Dawson Road, will cover the topics of suicide prevention and the effects of social media on young people.

Speakers will include Jeala B. Barnett-Gentry and licensed professional counselor Tanza Patrice Sutton, both of whom are employed with Albany Area Primary Health Care.

The program is sponsored by National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Albany.

“We really are urging the public to come,” Albany mental health advocate Kelly Wesselman said. “We want people to become comfortable talking about mental health issues. For me, the biggest thing about mental health is just talking about it rather than feeling shame or bottling it up. We want people to understand they’re not alone.”

Statistics show that one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each year, with one in 20 experiencing a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or major depression, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For younger Americans, one in six between the ages of 6 and 17 experiences a mental health disorder each year. Fifty percent of lifetime mental illnesses begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24, the CDC says.

In addition, suicide is the leading cause of death among those ages 10 to 14.

“We’re just trying to get in the community and provide answers on suicide prevention and look at young people and the effects social media have on growing up and the stress which can lead to suicidal thoughts,” Wesselman said.

There also are groups in the community that assist residents, including a suicide survivor support group, she said.

“The (speakers) will present a program that is expected to be very powerful, not just for people who attend our support groups but for the public in general,” she said.