Known as the gateway to Connecticut, Bradley International Airport has a deep commitment to the local communities and prides itself on being a welcoming and inclusive environment for the more than 1 million passengers it welcomes each year.
Recently named the second-best airport in the United States by Condé Nast Traveler, Bradley partnered with McLean Hospital to exhibit its award-winning Deconstructing Stigma: Changing Attitudes About Mental Health campaign.
This exhibit, featuring individuals from Connecticut, celebrities, and people from around the globe who struggle with mental health disorders themselves or in their families, was intended to raise awareness and encourage honest conversations about mental health conditions.
Collaborating With Bradley
In 2016, shortly after launching Deconstructing Stigma at Boston Logan Airport, McLean Hospital’s Education Outreach team began developing public installations in the United States and abroad, with growing collaborations among New England airports, including Burlington International Airport in Vermont and Bangor International Airport in Maine.
The Education Outreach team began working with organizations in Connecticut to identify public spaces where Deconstructing Stigma could be exhibited, but all efforts were placed on hold due to the pandemic.
In late 2021, we resumed these efforts and Bradley International Airport eagerly welcomed Deconstructing Stigma to Connecticut.
The exhibit, which was seen in art cases throughout the airport pre-security, was developed specifically for Bradley, featuring individuals from Connecticut and beyond who have experienced mental health challenges.
A Personal Connection
While McLean has been actively working with organizations across the United States and around the world to install Deconstructing Stigma in public spaces, the collaboration in Connecticut has a very personal connection for a local resident.
Ann Dagle, who lost her son Brian to suicide, is a mental health advocate and volunteer for Deconstructing Stigma. In telling her story as part of the Deconstructing Stigma campaign, Ann’s goal is to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
As the founder of Brian’s Healing Hearts (The Brian Dagle Foundation), Ann used her story and her voice to advocate to bring Deconstructing Stigma to Bradley. Thanks to her efforts and close collaboration, the Cultural Coalition and Greater Hartford Arts Council permitted McLean to use their rotating art display cases at Bradley to showcase Deconstructing Stigma from October 2022 through March 2023.
While the volunteers who participate in Deconstructing Stigma may have diverse backgrounds, they all have at least one thing in common—they have all been affected by mental health and the stigma that surrounds it. And they all have been brought together as part of Deconstructing Stigma.
We are deeply grateful for this collaboration between Bradley International Airport and the community partners from across Connecticut in bringing resilient and inspirational stories of people living with psychiatric disorders to the airport.
Changing Attitudes About Mental Health
“I’ve never been healed or cured. I’ve had periods of remission. But knowing the disorder is there forces me to be vigilant and have the best help possible by my side,” explained Luanne, a Connecticut resident and Deconstructing Stigma volunteer.
“Secret-keeping eats you up and that leads to self-hatred and then suicide. Share what you’re feeling. Talk about it. Write about it. It’s serious, but there is help.”
Luanne, a best-selling author who uses her voice to advocate on behalf of those living with mental health conditions, is among the people profiled in the exhibit.
She is one of the more than 300 individuals who currently volunteer to share their stories as part of Deconstructing Stigma in hopes of increasing awareness and decreasing the fear and shame that is too often associated with mental health.
Each of the volunteers from Connecticut and beyond shares their story to encourage others to seek care and to know they are not alone. Though each person is unique, and their story is personal, the experiences of coping with mental health challenges and stigma are similar.
The goal of Deconstructing Stigma is to share the individual voices and, by doing so, highlight the commonality that all of us share—mental health affects everyone.
Facts About Mental Health in Connecticut
- It is estimated that 531,000 adults in Connecticut have a mental health condition
- In Connecticut, 121,000 adults have a serious mental health disorder
- 40,000 children and adolescents ages 12-17 in Connecticut have depression
- 2,905 people in Connecticut are homeless, and 1 in 8 live with a serious mental health disorder
- In Connecticut, 419 lives were lost to suicide and 125,000 adults had thoughts of suicide in the last year
- People in Connecticut who identify as Hispanic and multiracial are experiencing a higher burden of symptoms of depression than other racial or ethnic groups
- In Connecticut, 16% of the overall population typically experiences depression; this rate is highest among young adults and decreases with age
Sources: NAMI Connecticut and CTData.
Get Support
Many organizations throughout Connecticut offer support and services to individuals and families in need. Find Connecticut-specific resources.