This Pride Month, NAMI's 'Mental Health Without Conditions' Campaign Gives Voice to the LGBTQ+ Community and Addresses Inequity, Disparities

ARLINGTON, Va., June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, today launched "Mental Health Without Conditions," a compassionate Pride Month campaign for LGBTQ+ dignity and equality.

NAMI is accentuating its commitment to unconditional support for the LGBTQ+ community, calling for increased awareness and action to address that community's mental health disparities and unique needs — not just in June, but every month.

"NAMI stands in solidarity with everyone navigating mental health conditions, particularly those within the LGBTQ+ community, who disproportionately experience obstacles to equal care," said NAMI Chief Innovation Officer Darcy Gruttadaro. "Our campaign's core theme, 'I Am NAMI Pride,' isn't merely a slogan — it's a powerful affirmation that underlines our identity. The 'I AM' within 'NAMI' reflects our collective dedication to mental health equity for every individual."

Bearing the inspiring hashtag #IAmNAMIPride, the campaign and a new landing page at nami.org/Pride offer a platform for people to share and express their solidarity and support. The page includes disturbing statistics about LGBTQ+ mental health, but it also tells individual stories that humanize the realities many LGBTQ+ people encounter in their mental health journeys.

Throughout June, NAMI encourages everyone to amplify their voices, share their stories and show their pride by tagging NAMI's social media accounts (linked at the bottom of this release) and using the hashtag #IAmNAMIPride. The campaign website provides shareable social media resources, including educational graphics, a special #IAmNAMIPride Facebook profile frame and ways to share personal experiences related to LGBTQ+ mental health.

The website also offers resources for people seeking support, including a directory of LGBTQ+ affirming mental health providers and information about NAMI's LGBTQ+ policy positions. These services are a part of NAMI's wider push to provide comprehensive support for the LGBTQ+ community.

The latest of those policies, adopted recently by the NAMI Board of Directors, addresses the timely issue of access to gender-affirming care, emphasizing its critical importance to the mental health of transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse individuals. It also opposes any public policies or laws, which have been proliferating nationwide, that limit, ban or criminalize such care.

Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely to experience a mental health condition, compared to cisgender individuals. For transgender and nonbinary youth, these risks increase dramatically, including a higher likelihood of serious consideration of suicide and actual suicide attempts. Rather than limiting or banning life-saving care, NAMI urges the availability of evidence-based practices that improve mental health outcomes for transgender and nonbinary individuals.

LGBTQ+ people face higher risks of mental health conditions and suicide. Bullying, hate crimes, discrimination and lack of access to mental health care contribute to these disparities.

"Mental Health Without Conditions" is a step toward changing this narrative, creating a safer, fairer and more supportive environment for everybody regardless of their gender identity or sexuality. For more information, and to support "Mental Health Without Conditions," visit nami.org/Pride.         

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Join the conversation at  NAMI.org | Facebook.com/nami | Instagram.com/namicommunicate | Twitter.com/namicommunicate | TikTok.com/@nami | LinkedIn.com/company/nami | YouTube.com/NAMIvideo #IAmNAMIPride

SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness