City Councilor Sheds Light on Mental Illness Stigma
Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo held a hearing addressing how to get rid of the stigma surrounding mental illness in the Boston area.
At-Large Boston City Councilor Felix Arroyo held a hearing addressing the stigma surrounding mental health on Tuesday evening, Dec. 18. “Many feel uncomfortable talking about this topic and many may feel symptoms they do not seek help for because of there is a stigma attached,” Arroyo said. “It is easy for people to say ‘I am an asthmatic,’ but it is harder to say ‘I have mental illness.’ And we need to work to get rid of that stigma because it is the quickest way to allow folks to seek help.” According to a 2011 report from Boston Board of Health Commission study, 9 percent of adults in Boston in 2010 reported persistent symptoms of depression, meaning that they felt sad or depressed for longer than 14 days within a month. In 2009, 30 …
