Results: Bell Let's Talk January 29

When it comes to mental health, every action counts. In September 2010, Canada's largest telecommunications provider, Bell Canada initiated Bell Let's Talk which began a new conversation about Canada's mental health. At that time, most people were not talking about mental illness. But the numbers spoke volumes about the urgent need for action. Millions of Canadians, including leading personalities, engaged in an open discussion about mental illness, offering new ideas and hope for those who struggle, with numbers growing every year. As a result, institutions and organizations large and small in every region received new funding for access, care and research from Bell Let's Talk and from governments and corporations that have joined the cause. Bell's total donation last year was 7.2 million, and the next Bell Let's Talk day is January 29th. Have you heard about this initiative?

Stigma is what Bell said it wanted to help tackle in 2010 when it announced the Let's Talk campaign, featuring Olympian Clara Hughes as its spokesperson. The public responded: Bell logged nearly 145,444,000 "interactions" in 2019, up from more than 66,000 in 2011. However, dedicating one day a year to this campaign is not enough, many feel, and the conversation has to continue 365 days a year, until mental illness is taken as seriously as physical illnesses. Do you agree?

Bell has certainly done its part in chipping away at the stigma attached to mental illness. More and more celebrities have also done their part by talking about their struggles openly and honestly, showing their fans that they are only human, and someone understands what they too, are going through. One such celebrity is singer Demi Lovato. Diagnosed as bipolar at the age of 18, and has struggled with anxiety, depression and substance abuse for years. She uses her platform to discuss body positivity, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, gender equality, and the dangers of cyber-bullying. She promotes self-love and reflection. Being a role model doesn't mean that one has to uphold some sort of angelic image or pretend to be perfect. Her struggle only shows that she's human — and we can't expect our public figures to be anything other than that. Are you familiar with any of these songs that talk about mental illness and other struggles that many of our young people go through?

Other singers have opened up about their struggles with mental illness connecting with their fans, and many of these have helped countless young people to open up to their families or health care providers. Which of these songs are you familiar with?