October 10, 2018

An Invisible Illness
This week we acknowledge the importance of “minding your mind” with World Mental Health Day on Wednesday, October 10. World Mental Health day is a day for education, awareness and advocacy designed to break the stigma around mental illness.

We often acknowledge and empathize with others who suffer from physical setbacks, such as a broken limb, but shy away from conversations regarding mental health challenges. Sadly, it is the invisible illnesses that can be the most debilitating and severe.

Marketing for change
We believe that marketers have a social responsibility to be the drivers of change whenever possible. Marketing has played a major role in cause-focused campaigns for many years. From Smokey Bear and Keep America Beautiful to Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk, social advertising has been a catalyst for starting critical dialogue about some of the most significant social change movements in our history.

The World Health Organization recently reported that by the year 2030 depression will have become the largest single healthcare burden, costing $6 trillion globally. This means we are embarking on a new reality that requires the help of compassionate people to break the stigma and break down the barriers to change.

With the enormity of this issue, we ask ourselves as marketers, “What can we do now for our younger generations to learn coping mechanisms for the everyday stresses they face?” For this reason the World Health Organization has focused this year’s attention on: Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World. World Mental Health Day on October 10, plans to tackle tough topics such as bullying, the effects of trauma, major mental illness, suicide, gender identity and the way forward - prevention, resilience and support.

A-Train Marketing is prepared to help pave the way forward, and currently supports a large number of mental-health related organizations statewide. We are working on strategies to break the stigma and normalize the conversation about mental health. And, we’re proud to partner with the Colorado Behavioral Health Council (CBHC), an organization that is leading the charge for mental health awareness with initiatives such as Colorado Crisis Services and Mental Health First Aid.

To further show our support for this important issue, A-Train will be attending the Colorado Behavioral Health Council’s annual conference in Breckenridge, Colorado from October 11-13. The theme of the conference is “Connections Start Here” and we are proud to partner with those making connections to help people remember that mental health matters and treatment works.

A-Train’s proud list of clients that support human health-related products and services include:

Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council (CBHC) https://www.cbhc.org/

North Range Behavioral Health http://www.northrange.org/

Eating Disorder Care (EDCare) https://eatingdisorder.care/

Centennial Mental Health Center https://www.centennialmhc.org/

Solvista Health https://solvistahealth.org/

Aurora Mental Health https://www.aumhc.org/

Community Reach Center https://www.communityreachcenter.org/

Mountainland Pediatrics https://mountainlandpeds.com/

Nightlight Christian Adoptions https://www.nightlight.org/

Useful resources:

Take a Stress Test: https://www.psycom.net/stress-test

Mental Health First Aid Colorado classes: http://www.mhfaco.org/findclass

Talk to Colorado Crisis Services: 1-844-493-TALK (8255)

The World Federation for Mental Health full report: Young People and Mental Health in a Changing World