MIAMI, Florida – September 26, 2013 – (HISPANICIZE WIRE) – Nunca Alone, the team uniting Latino influencers of social media, blogging, and marketing, will be participating in the NAMI Walks being held in Broward County Florida on Saturday November 9, 2013. Lead by Cuban-American blogger Sonia Guerra aka Bohemian Babushka, the group aspires to be the largest gathering of Latinos to help benefit this grassroots, non-profit organization and the cause to #StopTheStigma of mental illness in their culture.
Direct Link to NAMI Walks, Broward- https://securewalks.nami.org/registrant/LoginRegister.aspx?eventid=109750&langpref=en-CA&referrer=http%3a%2f%2fnamiwalks.org%2f
According to NAMI’s (National Alliance Mental Illness) Latino Community Mental Health Fact Sheet, ”Women and Latinos are more likely to experience a major depressive episode. Latinos have been identified as a high risk group for depression, anxiety and substance abuse.” Ironically, in many cases the substance abuse is caused by not seeking psychiatric help and trying to self-medicate.
Also stated in the fact sheet, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Youth Risk Survey found a 10.7 percent attempted suicide rate among Latino youth, compared with a 7.3 percent rate among African American youth and a 6.3 percent rate for White, non-Latino youth.”
Because of the stigma associated with mental illness, most Latinos do not ask for help, and wouldn’t know where to go for help once the need is obvious. Education and acceptance are pivotal in the fight to keep the raising numbers of suicide amongst Latinos from going higher.
The campaign will hold its inaugural event during Hispanic Heritage month in Broward County Florida. Plans are to organize a national series of events every July to highlight National Minority Mental Illness Awareness Month.
http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Multicultural_Support1/History_and_Highlights_National_Minority_Mental_Health_Awareness_Month.htm