Wednesday, 18th May 2011
Australians are encouraged to wear a hat on Friday to help Rotary raise funds for mental health research.
Bert van Manen MP, Federal Member for Forde is delighted to offer support to Rotary’s new action and awareness day on 20 May 2011.
Mental illness affects one in five Australians every year and does not discriminate. It affects people in cities and rural areas, men, women and children, but the burden of mental illness is higher where treatment is harder access.
Since 1981 Australian Rotary Health has raised $26 million for medical research, including $12 million for mental health research, in Australia and is holding the first official hat day to raise awareness of mental health and add to its pool of funds which is distributed to researchers.
Remember, mental health is not something you want to keep under your hat.
Professor Anthony Jorm, a Professorial fellow at the Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, and Research Chair of Australian Rotary Health is encouraging support for Hat Day.
“Directly or indirectly, every Australian is affected by mental illness,” says Professor Jorm.
“It may affect them, their family, their work colleagues or their friends. Unlike physical diseases which mainly affect older people, mental illness is the biggest health problem for Australia’s youth, affecting them during the prime of their lives,” he says.
More information about hat day is available at:
http://www.australianrotoryhealth.org.au
[Ends]