Six Denison students and a member of the faculty will attend meeting about Global Mental Health: World Trends at the Columbus World Affairs Council on April 7.

Giuseppe James Raviola, M.D., MPH, Instructor of Psychiatry & in Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School will present his findings.

Denison students Brooke Ashlin Hubbard, Vatsal Jhawar, Shannon O'Brien Casey, Angela Mellits Gloninger, Bailey Nicole Greene, and Elisha Scott will attend, accompanied by Erin Henshaw, associate professor of psychology.

It is estimated that more than 1 billion people have experienced some form of extreme violence, ethnic conflict, torture, rape, terrorism, starvation as well as being victims of natural disasters. The plight of refugees fleeing their homeland or a person living in a war-ravaged community, plus the millions of others who suffer from mental illness are often overlooked as significant components of our world’s health priorities.

In 15 years, depression alone will be the number one cause of disability globally, more than heart disease, cancer, and HIV. Recent statistics from the World Health Organization reveal that 450 million persons suffer from some form of mental disease or brain disorder. Mental illness is still stigmatized in many cultures forcing people to live in denial, frustration and loneliness while being prevented from seeking help when they require it. This global epidemic is just as important here at home in Central Ohio. Many of our local immigrants and refugees have faced violence or extreme poverty in their country of origin leading to increased need for trauma-informed care.