May 7-13 is Mental Health Week, and there are a number of events in the community to mark the occasion.
Informational sessions will be held throughout the community during the week by Northern Health's Mental Health and Addictions staff, with displays and information on Tuesday at Overwaitea and on Wednesday at the Seniors Rec Centre. There will be a free moving screening held on Thursday night at the Mental Health and Addictions Office on Stuart Drive.
The film is Cracking Up, a CBC documentary about the 2005 Stand Up for Mental Health Vancouver Comics.
The film documents a stand-up comedy project where people living with mental health issues perform standup comedy about living with mental health problems.
There will also be an art exhibit in the Fort St. James Bicentennial Library with opening night Tuesday May 8 from 5-8p.m.. The show will be on display during library hours until Friday.
Mental Health Week helps to create awareness around important issues which have a larger impact than many realize.
Mental illness costs $51 billion a year in lost productivity in Canada, according to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
One in five Canadians are reportedly affected by mental illness in their lifetime, with only a third of them seeking treatment.