Oilers goaltender Ben Scrivens has supported mental illness awareness for quite some time – and in a new venture with actress Glenn Close and other celebrities, he's working to make men feel comfortable discussing the issue.
Ben Scrivens' commitment to mental health awareness remains stronger than any stigmaOilers goalie Ben Scrivens has established himself as one of the NHL's leading voices in mental illness awareness, and he's now teamed up with athletes and celebrities outside the hockey world to spread the word and encourage understanding and acceptance of those who suffer from it.
Working with the group Bring Change 2 Mind – a non-profit charity founded by actress Glenn Close to raise mental illness awareness – Scrivens is joining fellow athlete Brandon Marshall of the NFL's Chicago Bears, actor Wayne Brady and musician Michael Angelakos of the group Passion Pit on a new public service announcement campaign, #StrongerThanStigma, that encourages the normalization of mental health conversations among men:
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCLb21KoR0M[/embed]
In his short time as a member of the Oilers, Scrivens has established a firm link to the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, and this latest venture underscores its importance to him. For another perspective on the subject, here's Brady, who many know as an improvisational comedy superstar, discussing his feelings on mental health issues:
The rate of suicide among men has been three to four times that of women over the past thirty years, according to Bring Change 2 Mind, and although 25 percent of adults will deal with a mental illness in any given year, only one-third will seek treatment. That's why there's a dire need to encourage and stimulate openness and compassion, and good on Scrivens et al. for taking the lead on a very important matter.
