WESTFORD — After the Select Board unanimously approved a proclamation to recognize May as Mental Health Awareness Month, a number of speakers took to Westford Common to speak on mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
The Select Board unanimously approved a proclamation to declare May as Mental Health Awareness Month during an April 25 meeting.
The event was hosted by the Health Department and Community Wellness Department, with members from the Select Board, the See a New Sun Foundation, Rep. Lori Trahan’s office and State Sen. John Cronin’s office in attendance.
“Mental Health is a very important part of a person’s overall health and well-being,” said Health Director Rae Dick. “Yet mental health affects millions of people and their families nationwide.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey, approximately 30% of adults in Massachusetts report symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder as of April 13.
Members from the See a New Sun Foundation, an organization to promote awareness of suicide prevention and substance abuse, were in attendance to promote a number of mental health resources in the area.
The organization recently provided the Town of Westford with bumper stickers featuring the 988 Crisis Lifeline, the new three-digit dialing code to connect callers with the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. These bumper stickers have been placed on a number of Westford Police Department and other town-owned vehicles.
The event was originally hosted on May 1. Watch the event below:
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