For the past few weeks, Out of the Shadows explored the numerous obstacles that surround mental illness. In the series' last conversation, Eight Forty-Eight explored what could be done to break down those barriers.
The Smiths are a family of four: Helen, her husband, and their two adopted children, Lisa and Peter.Helen and 16-year-old Lisa just visited Lisa’s biological family in New Mexico.
According to the latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 15 percent of Latino youth in the United States have considered attempting suicide. By comparison, rates for black and white youth were 13 percent.
WBEZ's Out of the Shadows series looked to identify some factors that could exacerbate mental illness in teens--among them, sexuality. Straight or gay, coming to terms with one's sexuality is one of the biggest hurdles a teenager crosses.
Over time, society improved the way it understands and treats mental illness, but long-standing stigma can still be heard in everyday casual language. The stigma is heard in words like crazy, nutty, unbalanced or delusional.
