Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services honored advocates who have advanced the public’s understanding of mental illness at the 14th annual “Erasing the Stigma Leadership Awards” at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, April 30. This year’s honorees included Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds, Ross Szabo, author of “Behind Happy Faces,” and Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop.
The event highlighted mental illness affecting youth, as 50 percent of all mental disorders emerge by the age of 14, and 75 percent emerge by 25, the organization said.