One in five adults in Michigan experiences a mental health condition each year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This is a figure that mirrors a growing national crisis. However, even as access to care expands, experts say people aren’t necessarily getting better.
That’s why Michigan State University and NAMI Lansing are hosting a public forum Thursday reframing mental health as a human right and exploring community-based solutions from around the world.
The event, Mental Health as a Human Right and the Role of Collective Support, runs from 7 to 8:30 PM at MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) Auditorium.
“We’ve got a big mental health problem here,” said Professor Katharine Thakkar, director of MSU’s Mental Health Research Connect. “Resources are increasing, services are increasing, but people aren’t getting better…people get marginalized, and loneliness makes it really hard to flourish.”
The event’s keynote speaker, Dr. Vikram Patel of Harvard University, is an international expert on community-based mental health approaches. Thakkar says even programs teaching grandmothers psychotherapy techniques to practice in the community can show how powerful connection can be.
A local panel will follow, featuring psychiatrist Dr. Abbasi, peer support specialist Mark Phillips, Katriva Bisbee of NAMI Lansing, and Jerry Norris, founder of The Fledge.
“We can learn a lot from countries that have had to be creative,” Thakkar said. “Belonging and human connection are just as vital to mental health as therapy or medication.”
