Battling Stigma in Mental Health and Addictions
Valerie Leuty; BHSc, MSc(OT) c.
March 3, 2010

The Center for Addictions and Mental Health (Center for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH), 2007) defines stigma as the negative attitudes and behaviours directed towards individuals with problems in the area of mental health and/or substance use. This prejudice and discrimination may result from a fear of the unknown, or simply from a lack of public education in the area of mental health. Tri 4 The Cure is a foundation created by mental illness survivor, Andrea Guspie, in an attempt to combat the stigma of mental illness (Guspie, 2009). In her teenage years, Andrea was diagnosed with uni-polar disorder, more commonly referred to as clinical depression. Andrea reports that at times her depression was debilitating, yet her strong support network allowed her to persevere through these difficult times. Andrea, an extremely accomplished athlete, decided to use her passion for sport to “Battle it out for Mental Health” (Guspie, 2009). Her personal trainer, Deirdre Casey, first introduced her to the Ironman Triathalon in 2007. An Ironman consists of a total of 140.6 miles, divided into a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run, placing major physical and emotional strain on the competing athletes. At 32 years of age, Andrea is considered fairly old to be training for such a competition, however, she has successfully completed one Ironman and is currently training for another.

The stated aim of Tri 4 The Cure is to raise research funds and provide support for individuals currently living with mental illness and/or addictions. Its intent is to challenge stigma by educating society about the realities of mental illness, thereby breaking down the barriers of ignorance, prejudice, and unfair discrimination. Currently, Tri 4 The Cure consists of only one athlete, Andrea. While her goal is to eventually put a team together and to develop events such as spin-a-thons, Andrea presently battles the stigma of mental illness by promoting Tri 4 The Cure at every possible opportunity. She solicits sponsors to donate to the foundation, and in turn, advertises for them by putting their logos on her triathlon gear. Two of her sponsors allow Andrea to train at their fitness facilities free of charge, while several others donate items such as hats and t-shirts; expenses for most of her equipment and for her foundation’s website, however, come out of her own pocket. CAMH supports Andrea by providing links to her website on their homepage. All of Andrea’s fundraising goes directly to charity, specifically to CAMH and the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation. Funds are intended to support the positive inroads these institutions are making with mental health and addictions populations.

Clearly, Andrea’s Tri 4 The Cure initiative battles stigma in multiple ways. One in five people in Canada will face some form of mental health issue over the course of their lives, and nearly everyone has been affected by mental illness in some way (CAMH, 2007). Still, those with mental illness continue to be treated differently, and the stigma associated with the diagnosis of a mental illness can be extremely detrimental to one’s health and well-being. As a survivor actively seeking positive solutions, Andrea is demonstrating unlimited potential, which surpasses the expectation of such diagnostic limitations. She has educated her sponsors and outlined the goals of her foundation to the point where her sponsors are now participating in her promotion. Organizations such as Method Clothing Company, HTFU Clothing, Bodies In Motion, and Judy's Group Fitness are supporting Andrea in her quest to raise awareness. Founders of these organizations have some knowledge or experience with mental illness, thus are sensitive to and supportive of Andrea’s challenge. Their support and advocacy is evident in their allowing their corporate names to be stamped on Andrea’s Tri 4 the Cure equipment.

In targeting sponsors and community members for support, Tri 4 The Cure also serves to bridge the gap between communities of individuals with and without mental health issues. Competing in the Ironman serves to normalize mental illness by demonstrating survivors’ capabilities. Participating in athletic events as a means of raising funds and health awareness is a common approach. In following with a standard formula for raising health awareness, Tri 4 The Cure highlights the fact that individuals with mental illness should be advocated for in the same

way as those with physical illness. For example, Relay For Life raises cancer awareness by having participants seek sponsors who will support them to walk around a track for an entire night (Canadian Cancer Society, 2009). When a cancer survivor participates in this event, he/she is applauded. Similarly, the challenges of living with mental illness and/or addictive behaviours should also be applauded. If Tri 4 The Cure were to become an event encouraging public participation, widespread support may flourish, as it has for Relay for Life. Events such as Relay For Life are common in schools and as such, most children have been sensitized and educated to the condition of cancer and the needs of the affected patient. Educating children about mental health early on in their education may promote the same understanding and acceptance that they seem to develop about physical health at such a young age. It may also help them to recognize and act upon potential symptoms of mental illness at an earlier age.

Lastly, from an occupational perspective, Tri 4 The Cure supports some of the foundational principals of occupational therapy (OT). OT aims to enable clients to engage in their meaningful occupations of self-care, productivity, and/or leisure (Townsend et al., 2007). It could be argued that Tri 4 The Cure is both a productive and leisurely occupation, as the training to participate is intense and raises funds, while at the same time can be very enjoyable. Not only does Tri 4 The Cure promote meaningful occupation for individuals with mental illness, it mobilizes and educates the supporting community, raising the value and plight of the affected individuals. The occupational benefits of advocating for one’s own health may be to raise self-esteem and self-confidence, and to inspire those subject to stigma to stand up for themselves and to take an active role in their rehabilitation. Rather than allowing the stigma of mental illness to further perpetuate adversity, may it prove, as in Andrea’s story, to challenge the individual to even greater heights.

References:

Canadian Cancer Society. (2009). Canadian cancer society relay for life. Retrieved from http://www.cancer.ca/Canada-wide/How%20you%20can%20help/CW- Relay%20For%20Life.aspx?sc_lang=en

Center for Addictions and Mental Health. (2007). Stigma: Understanding the impact of prejudice and discrimination on people with mental health and substance use problems. Retrieved from http://www.camh.net/Care_treatment/Resources_clients_families_ friends/stigma_brochure.html

Guspie, A. (2009). Tri 4 the cure: Battling it out for mental health. Retrieved from http://www.tri4thecure.ca/

Townsend, E., Davis, J., Stewart, D., Cantin, N., Amoroso, B., Purdie, L. & Zimmerman, D. (2007). Specifying the domain of concern: Occupation as core. In E. Townsend & H. Polatajko (Eds.), Enabling occupation II: Advancing an occupational therapy vision for health, well-being, & justice through occupation (pp. 13-18). Ottawa: Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists.