A Friend Makes a Difference
Anti-Stigma Campaign Encourages Support
New materials are now available as part of SAMHSA’s Mental Health Anti-Stigma Campaign launched in 2006. (See SAMHSA News online, November/December 2006.)
The campaign’s new brochure, What a Difference a Friend Makes, is designed to provide young adults with the tools to help support a friend who is living with a mental illness in the recovery process.
A Spanish-language version of the brochure, Un amigo marca una gran diferencia, also is available.
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| SAMHSA's What a Difference a Friend Makes brochure is now available in English and Spanish. The brochure in Spanish includes two postcards ready for mailing. Translated, the text reads, "Chatting, Chilling, Hanging, Relaxing." |
In addition, campaign public service announcements (PSAs) are now available in Spanish as well as English.
“Once people understand the facts about mental illnesses, they are better equipped to support their friends and family members who may be affected,” said A. Kathryn Power, M.Ed., Director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services. “Young people can make a difference in the lives of their friends simply by being understanding, empathetic, and knowledgeable about what friends are going through as they make their way to recovery.”
Debunking Myths
Focusing on the basics, the SAMHSA brochure defines key terms such as mental health, recovery, and support.
Myths and facts about mental illness are included. For example, one pervasive myth is that people
can’t do anything for a person with mental illness. On the contrary, according to the brochure, “helping” begins
with how we act and speak with a person with a mental illness. Social acceptance makes a
big difference.
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What Would You Do?
The brochure offers a variety of “What Would You Do” scenarios—ways to be helpful
to someone with a mental illness. For example, what if your friend started sleeping away
much of the day? A solution is to encourage your friend to get out of the house, or maybe
even go to a movie with you.
Another example is what to do if you hear others talking about people with mental illnesses in negative terms. One solution is to let those people know that people with mental illnesses deserve respect and dignity.
The brochure also includes a resources list and two postcards to spread the word.
One of the campaign’s intentions is to build awareness that mental illnesses affect a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being in much the same way as diabetes or heart disease affects a person’s overall health.
According to recent SAMHSA statistics, the prevalence of serious mental health conditions among
people age 18 to 25 is almost double that of the general population. Conversely, young adults
at this age show the lowest rate of help-seeking behaviors. And only about 25 percent of
young adults in this age group believe that a person with mental illness can recover.
Free copies of this publication, What
a Difference a Friend Makes (English) and Un
amigo marca una gran diferencia (Español) are available from SAMHSA’s
Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727) or 1-866-889-2647 (TDD). Request
inventory number SMA07-4265 (English) or SMA07-4289 (Español).
Online, the English-language brochure is available on the campaign’s Web site at http://whatadifference.org/docs/NASC.pdf.
The Spanish-language brochure is available on the campaign's
Web site at http://whatadifference.org/docs/NASC_Spanish_web.pdf.
For general information about mental illnesses, recovery, and related publications, visit SAMHSA’s Web site at www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov. 
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