Mental Illness Awareness Week recently acknowledged bipolar and depression-specific publications. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
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Amanda Rupp | Oct 2, 2016

Mental Illness Awareness Week honors bipolar, depression publications

Mental Illness Awareness Week runs Oct. 2-8, highlighting mental health challenges in addition to honoring publications about bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression.

The goal of the week is to educate the public and encourage support for people who live with mental health challenges. It is also a chance to focus on publications about common mental health concerns.

JoAnne Doan is a publisher whose groundbreaking work emphasizes people who have depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety. Earlier this year, she received a Folio: Top Women in Media award as an entrepreneur in this readership group.

Doan publishes bp Magazine, after starting it in 2004. At that time, there was not a single consumer publication written for the 5.7 million Americans who have bipolar disorder. Today, it remains the only publication that offers accessible information and inspiration about living well in spite of bipolar disorder.

In addition, Doan is publishing Esperanza (“hope” in Spanish) to broaden her message to people who have anxiety and depression disorders. This magazine will celebrate its eighth anniversary this fall.

"I wanted to create the equivalent of a newsstand women's magazine, so that someone reading bp on a plane or on their lunch hour wouldn't feel stigmatized," Doan said.

Doan redesigned her website just this year in order to meet the changes in media and mental health environments. Now the website has videos, forums, award-winning blogs and social media content for its viewers.

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