For Release: Sept. 24, 2007
Renee examines how minorities are affected by mental illness on the next Connections . The program air s the day of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walk in Lexington, Saturday, Oct. 13 at 3/2 p.m. CT on KET1 , and encores Sunday, Oct. 21 at 11:30/10:30 a.m. CT on KET2. Boasting thousands of participants, the annual walk is the biggest single event in the Commonwealth devoted to raising awareness about mental health issues.On the program, Renee speaks with Jennifer Dishman of Lexington and Yolonda Kelso of Nicholasville , who have organized the new Multicultural Action Committee (MAC) for NAMI Lexington. The women, dubbed " MAC divas " because of their advocacy for mental illness awareness, discuss breaking the stigma of mental illness in the African-American community. They also talk about some recent studies that suggest that African-American communities are more likely to view mental illness as a personal weakness rather than a legitimate health matter. Both women also address their own struggles with depression.
Renee and her guests go on to talk about the symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses, treatment options, how faith-based organizations and leaders can help, the rise in suicide in young black males and the link of depression to violent crime in black youths.
Connections with Renee Shaw is a KET production, produced by Renee Shaw and Carolyn Gwinn. More information about Connections , including streaming video, is available at www.ket.org/ connections. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.