Half of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, with one in five
children affected by mental illness and often not getting treatment for
years. To help children and their families, schools and communities, the
Cigna Foundation is sponsoring and co-hosting a forum and webcast today
with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The forum will
provide steps that teachers, parents and health care professionals can
take to address the growing mental health crisis among youth.
Today’s forum is taking place between 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. EDT. The full
agenda, speaker information and live webcast are available on the forum
webpage at www.nami.org/childrensmhforum.
Called “It’s Time to Take Action: Innovative Community Approaches to
Children’s Mental Health,” the forum includes advocates and experts from
the mental health field discussing conditions, treatment, bullying and
addiction. In mid-June, taped videos of the Forum sessions will be
posted to the forum webpage.
“It’s time to move the needle from talk to action. Cigna is pleased to
shine a light on this urgent topic, as children’s wellness is a priority
as part of our company’s corporate responsibility platform,” said Stuart
Lustig, M.D., M.P.H., lead medical director for child and adolescent
care for Cigna Behavioral Health and associate clinical professor at the
University of California San Francisco in the Department of Psychiatry.
“Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth, ages 10 to
24,” said NAMI executive director Mary Giliberti, J.D. “Early
recognition of symptoms in children and early treatment can save lives
and ensures a better future.”
“National dialogue about children’s mental health is important, but
dialogue also must lead to action. We hope the forum will help move
mental health professionals and policymakers forward,” Giliberti added.
The forum will focus on successful, innovative and cost-effective
programs that should be examined for replication nationwide to help
prevent suffering and tragedy, including:
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Ensuring that schools are equipped with mental health prevention and
early intervention tools;
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Early identification, intervention and care for youth with mental
health conditions, and how to fill the gap in a shortage of mental
health services and providers; and
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Opportunities to talk about mental health, such as the NAMI
Ending the Silence program for high school students and
OK2Talk.org, a social media community that promotes sharing, dialogue
and resources to eliminate the barriers that often stand in the way of
children with mental health conditions.
“Talking more openly about mental illness and the tangible actions that
benefit children helps to remove the stigma and discrimination that
often surrounds these conditions. Today’s forum is a start,” Dr. Lustig
said.
About the Cigna Foundation
The Cigna Foundation, founded in 1962, is a private foundation funded by
contributions from Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) and its subsidiaries.
The Cigna Foundation supports organizations sharing its commitment to
enhancing the health of individuals and families, and the well-being of
their communities, with a special focus on those communities where Cigna
employees live and work.
About Cigna
Cigna Corporation (NYSE: CI) is a global health service company
dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense
of security. All products and services are provided exclusively by or
through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including
Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Cigna Health and Life
Insurance Company, Life Insurance Company of North America and Cigna
Life Insurance Company of New York. Such products and services include
an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental,
behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other
related products including group life, accident and disability
insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in 30 countries and
jurisdictions, and has more than 80 million customer relationships
throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna®, including links to
follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com.
About NAMI
NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization
dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans
affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services,
treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to
raising awareness and building a community of hope. To learn more about
NAMI, visit www.nami.org.
Copyright Business Wire 2014