Marchers getting ready to head out on the walk Monday morning (Michael Joel-Hansen/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

National Mental Health Week

Getting loud for mental health

May 6, 2019 | 4:07 PM

Some Prince Albert residents took to the street Monday in hopes of raising awareness about an important issue.

The fourth annual Get Loud for Mental Health Walk saw roughly 30 people walk downtown with signs encouraging people to speak up about mental health.

Douglas Kinar, executive director of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Prince Albert Branch, said public actions like the walk play a vital role on a couple of fronts.

“The importance of the walk is by bringing awareness, we’re also reducing the stigma of mental illness itself,” he said.

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This week marks Mental Health Week across Canada, which will see CMHA chapters all over the country put on events and activities to get people thinking and talking about the issue.

Kinar said since his organization started doing the walk four years ago he has noticed more people coming out to take part.

“There’s still a long ways to go in reducing the stigma of mental illness, but people coming out and talking about their own struggles, their own journey, helps normalize what we all go through on a daily basis,” he said.

One of the people who came out to take part in the walk was Gloria Shupenia, who has been a client of the CMHA in P.A. and was involved with the walk since it started four years ago.

“There’s a big stigma about it [mental healt] and it’s just so important because if we have mental health, it doesn’t mean we’re disabled, we still can work, because the stigma is such a negative and just to say we can work and do like everybody else,” she said.

Shupenia said she has noticed people are more aware of the issues surrounding mental health and as a result are more accepting then they used to be. She added organizations like the CMHA help in providing places like The Nest, where people can come together which is also helpful.

“We can support each other,” Shupenia said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn