CHICAGO — Public well being officers have partnered with the native chapter of a nonprofit psychological well being advocacy group to launch a bilingual marketing campaign to handle a rise in anxiousness, melancholy and substance use related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Right here to Hear You marketing campaign is a venture of the Cook dinner County Division of Public Well being together with the Nationwide Affiliation of Psychological Well being Chicago, or NAMI.
“Psychological well being impacts everybody, irrespective of who they’re or the place they’re from,” stated Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck, the division’s chief working officer. “The aim of the Right here to Hear You marketing campaign is to normalize looking for assist for psychological well being points and join people and households with the help and assets they want.”
The venture makes use of funding from a COVID-19 response grant from the Illinois Division of Public Well being to purchase promoting main as much as Might, which is Psychological Well being Consciousness Month.
Radio commercials started airing earlier this month on 4 English-language radio stations — WGCI, WVAZ, WPWX and WSRB — in addition to 4 Spanish-language stations — WOJO, WPPN, WVIV and WLEY, based on an announcement of the marketing campaign.
Along with the printed spots, the marketing campaign additionally contains streaming audio advertisements, which have been geo-targeted to concentrate on reaching individuals dwelling in Cook dinner County suburbs which have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus.
Public well being officers introduced the streaming audio advertisements are aimed toward suburban Cook dinner County residents between 18 and 34 and in high-risk teams, together with people who find themselves Black, feminine, homeless and people who establish as LGBTQ+.
“This partnership with NAMI will amplify the provision of assets for these in want,” Cook dinner County Well being CEO Israel Rocha stated in an announcement.
Greater than half of People who took half in a 2021 examine reported just lately feeling signs of tension and melancholy, whereas one in 10 stated they’d unmet psychological well being wants, based on public well being officers.
Almost two-thirds of adults reported bother sleeping, whereas about 60 % stated they’ve felt nervous, anxious or on edge throughout the final week, based on an evaluation of survey knowledge.
The marketing campaign began with a delicate launch final month at Chicago Ridge Mall and River Oaks Mall, the place a consultant of NAMI Chicago was spoke with buyers and distributed data at scorching cocoa stations that provided a method to focus on psychological well being points.
Anybody who’s experiencing bother sleeping, consuming or getting by way of the day was inspired to contact NAMI Chicago, which operates a confidential helpline at 833-626-4244 accessible from 9 a.m. to eight p.m. weekdays and till 5 p.m. on weekends.
“Via the helpline, our skilled employees work to share hope and reference to individuals on their psychological well being journeys,” NAMI Chicago Chief Government Officer Alexa James stated in an announcement.
“We can be found 7 days per week to satisfy callers the place they’re of their want for help and companies,” James stated. “We’re enthusiastic in regards to the Right here to Hear You marketing campaign and management Cook dinner County Division of Public Well being is demonstrating in sharing this message.”
