President Barack Obama expressed disbelief Monday at a White House mental health conference about the number of "very personal" medical ads shown on television while mental health remains a taboo subject.
"You see commercials on TV about a whole array of physical health issues?some of them very personal," Obama said, drawing laughter, during his remarks in the East Room kicking off the conference. "And yet, we whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions. ... There should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love. We've got to get rid of that embarrassment. We've got to get rid of that stigma. Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence rather than seeking help."
Obama said that each year "1 in 5 adults experience mental illness" and noted that he and first lady Michelle Obama know people who have battled severe depression.
"Struggling with a mental illness or caring for someone who does can be isolating," Obama said.
The White House called on mental health advocates, psychologists, representatives from veterans' groups and messaging experts?as well as Hollywood stars?to participate in Monday's conference.
Actors Bradley Cooper and Glenn Close are among those participating in the daylong conference, which features a panel on negative attitudes toward mental illness moderated by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a panel on mental health outreach moderated by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, opening remarks from the president and closing remarks from Vice President Joe Biden, Cooper and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki.
In 2009, Close co-founded a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the stigma associated with mental illness after observing how it affected her sister and son.
She said she is lucky her sister is alive. She "fell through the cracks of our family," Close said.
The president announced Monday that the Department of Veterans Affairs will direct 151 of its health care centers to conduct mental health summits July 1 through Sept. 15. The summits, which will include partnerships with local community organizations, will focus on support for veterans and their families and increase awareness about available mental health programs.
And Sebelius announced a new website, mentalhealth.gov, which she described as a "one-stop shop" for mental health support and a place where visitors can read success stories from individuals with mental illness.
"Mental health needs to be an issue we can talk about openly and freely without the fear of being judged or penalized," Sebelius said, noting that those suffering from mental illness continue to be outcast by society.
Other participants included former Republican Sen. Gordon Smith of Oregon, whose son committed suicide. Smith currently serves as president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, which is developing a national campaign to increase public awareness of mental health. Audience members who spoke at Monday's first panel included former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, who has bipolar disorder, and Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.
The conference builds on the president's plan to hold a national conversation about gun violence following the deadly Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Obama's effort to pressure Congress to pass gun reform measures stalled in mid-April when the Democratic-controlled Senate failed to support an expansion of background checks on gun purchases.
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