Canadians across the country joined together on social media to text, talk and tweet about mental health for the 7th annual Bell Let’s Talk Day on January 25, 2017. Bell’s annual campaign encourages people to “start the conversation” about mental health with friends, family and co-workers, recognizing that simply talking makes a significant impact in breaking down stigma and eliminating discrimination. Bell Let’s Talk Day donations are fully funded by Bell directly based on engagement by Canadians in the cause.
This year’s campaign reached almost 132 million total interactions and raised more than $6 million for mental health research, programs and organizations across Canada.
The money raised by Bell Let’s Talk has already supported more than 700 organizations across Canada to deliver mental health initiatives, including supporting CMHA branches through the annual Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund.
This year’s campaign highlighted the impact of mental illness on everyone, with Bell Let’s Talk spokespeople Clara Hughes, Howie Mandel, Michael Landsberg, and others speaking candidly about their own personal experiences with mental illness and recovery.