Large portions of the local community have a negative perception of people suffering from mental health conditions.

This was one of the findings of the Bermuda Omnibus Survey, which was commissioned by the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute (MAWI). The results were released this week as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

Speaking during the weekly meeting of the Hamilton Rotary Club, MAWI programme manager for Mental Health Services, Glen Caisey said: ?The survey results show that over a quarter of the Bermuda community still believe people with mental illnesses are a threat to others and are unable to function normally in society.?

He said it was important to eradicate the stigma of mental illness. ?It is important for our community to understand that with proper care and treatment, people do recover from mental illness and go on to lead relatively normal lives within the community,?he said.

Mr. Caisey was encouraged that the survey results showed that Bermudians are becoming better informed about mental health conditions. ?Over 72 percent of those polled realise that people with mental illness do not pose a threat to others and 70 percent recognise that people with mental illness can function normally in the community.?

Mr. Caisey said he hoped Mental Health Awareness Week would help strengthen the understanding of mental health. He added: ?The results showed that people who know someone with a mental illness are most likely to have open minds about those suffering with a mental illness.?

Mental illness knows no age limit, economic status, race, creed or colour, he added, and cautioned that 1 in 5 people in Bermuda will be affected by a mental health condition.