Queen's University professor Heather Stuart and former CFL player Shea Emry will be the featured speakers at the fourth annual Breaking the Silence Lecture aimed at raising awareness about mental health and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness. The event takes place on Tuesday, May 31, 2016, at the Simon Fraser University Goldcorp Centre for the Arts in Vancouver, BC. Register for the lecture which takes place from 6:00 – 7:30 pm.
Dr. Stuart is the Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair at Queen’s University’s Faculty of Health Sciences. She is a world-leading researcher and her ongoing work focuses on understanding the experience of stigma from the perspective of those directly affected by mental illness and their families.
The discussion will focus on Dr. Stuart’s research on five simple ways each of us can play a role in ending the stigma around mental health issues. “We need to change the way people think about mental illness. We must change the fears and prejudices so those affected will be treated fairly and without stigma,” says Dr. Stuart.
Shea Emry is a former linebacker who played seven seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and won two Grey Cups. He uses his platform as a professional athlete to talk about mental health and is currently a Bell Let’s Talk Ambassador.
CTV Vancouver news anchor, Tamara Taggart will be the emcee for the May 31 lecture. She is an award-winning broadcaster who has been with CTV British Columbia since 1997.
“Bell Let’s Talk is very pleased to work closely with Queen’s University to support anti-stigma research and mental health awareness, including funding the world’s first chair in anti-stigma research,” says Mary Deacon, Chair of Bell Let’s Talk. “The annual Breaking the Silence lecture broadens the discussion about ending the stigma of mental illness, which remains the biggest barrier for people seeking help.”
In February 2012, Bell announced a $1 million donation to Queen’s over five years to create the Bell Mental Health and Anti-Stigma Research Chair. The funding allows Dr. Stuart to focus her research on developing and disseminating best practices to reduce stigma. Historically, studies of mental health stigma focused on the beliefs held by the general public. Dr. Stuart has been working to understand the experience of stigma from the perspective of people who have a mental illness.
