HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-05-05 Proclamation - Mental Health Awareness Monthr
Office of the Mayor
City of Tukwila, Washington
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, mental health is part of overall health; and
WHEREAS, one in five adults experiences a mental health problem in any given year, and one in 17 adults
lives with mental illness such as major depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia; and
WHEREAS, approximately one-half of chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14 and three-quarters
by age 24;
WHEREAS, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause
among young adults, and 90% of people who die by suicide had shown symptoms of a mental health
condition, according to interviews with family, friends and medical professionals; and
WHEREAS, long delays—sometimes decades—often occur between the time symptoms first appear and
when individuals get help; and
WHEREAS, early identification and treatment can make a difference in successful management of
mental illness and recovery; and
WHEREAS, it is important to maintain mental health and learn the symptoms of mental illness in order
to get help when it is needed; and
WHEREAS, every citizen and community can make a difference in helping end the silence and stigma
that for too long has surrounded mental illness and discouraged people from getting help;
WHEREAS, public education and civic activities can encourage mental health and help improve the lives
of individuals and families affected by mental illness;
NOW THEREFORE, I, Allan Ekberg, Mayor of the City of Tukwila, do hereby proclaim the month of May,
2021 as:
Mental Health Awareness Month
in the City of Tukwila to increase public understanding of the importance of mental health and to
promote identification and treatment of mental illnesses and invite all residents, businesses, schools
and community organizations to take the "stigmafree pledge" at www.nami.org/stigmafree in
observance of Mental Health Awareness Month.
Presented this fifth day of May, 2021.
Allan Ekberg, Mayor