CINCINNATI — Findlay Market is hosting a community mental health and self-care event on Wednesday, bringing together several nonprofits to raise awareness about mental health resources.
1N5, an organization dedicated to reducing stigma and initiating conversations in over 300 schools across the Tri-State area, will play a key role in the event.
"The biggest thing that we know is if we talk about it people will get help faster," said Nancy Eigel-Miller, executive director at 1N5.
WATCH: The nonprofit has provided teachers with resources to manage stress while giving students and their parents the tools to navigate mental health discussions for over a decade.
"So we do a lot of training about building resiliency, what are protective factors, what are the things you can do in your life to protect your brain and keep you healthy," Eigel-Miller said.
She said when the nonprofit was founded in 2010, one in five people had been diagnosed with mental illness, but within the last few years, that statistic has grown.
"Today, the reality is the adult population is one in four, and in the teen population, it's one in three after the pandemic," Eigel-Miller said.
This increasing prevalence of mental health issues is why 1N5 is committed to raising awareness during the community night at Findlay Market.
"There's a lot more anxiety and depression, social interaction has really declined," Eigel-Miller said.
The focus of the event is to empower parents, teachers and students with the knowledge and language necessary to seek support.
"They know what the resources are that are available to them, and they have the language that they are not afraid to ask a question about a child," Eigel-Miller said.
She said that some students can receive counseling during the school day, but that wouldn't be possible without funding.
"Most of the work that we're doing, we do not charge for it, so any opportunity we can have that it can help us raise funds so that we can continue to do what we're doing is amazing," Eigel-Miller said.
Proceeds from tonight's event will go towards 1N5.
The mental health event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Findlay Market.
