Albertans are invited to participate in the Hats On for Mental Health day tomorrow. 

The campaign is aimed at wearing a hat to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health and removing the stigma associated with mental illness. According to Can We Talk.ca, mental illness and health are "gaining more traction in our collective conciousness and we can further that cause by bringing the discussion into classrooms."

Can We Talk. ca also provided statistics, such as; sixty per cent of people with mental illness won't seek out the help they need due to the stigma associated with being mentally ill, and only one in five youth with a mental illness will receive the mental health services they need. The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC,) also reports that, "many people living with mental illness say the stigma they face is often worse than the illness itself."

Also sponsored by the Alberta Teacher's Association, participating schools are encouraged to relax their hat rules for teachers and students to build understanding around the issue of mental health and its impacts. Teachers have been provided with lesson plans and are encouraged to have open discussions with their students, the goal being to raise awareness with the students that people with mental illness are not to be feared, judged, avoided or discriminated against.

More information on the Hats On campaign can be found by clicking here.

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