NAMI and the Hope & Grace Initiative launch the StigmaFree campaign to combat mental health stigma 

By Sarah Emily Gilbert

Consider this: 1 in 4 adults experience mental health issues in a year; 13.6 million Americans live with a serious mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, 1 
and only 41.3% of U.S. adults ever seek treatment for it due to the stigma.

Affecting more than 450 million people worldwide, it is clear that mental health issues are a pertinent problem in our society. Hopefully, today marks the beginning of the end of the stigma. In conjunction with May 1 being the advent of National Mental Health Awareness Month, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Hope & Grace Initiative are launching the StigmaFree campaign in New York City. The movement “will focus on embracing support and awareness for mental health by securing pledges from corporations, organizations, community leaders, and individuals to live stigma free including their support on social media with the hashtag #iamstigmafree.” more