Mercer County, Pa. - Penn State Shenango is hosting its ninth annual Stamp Out Stigma mental health event on Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 12:15 p.m. at the campus' Great Hall. 

Each year, the event centers dialogue around a different subsets of people. This year it aims to help men by raising awareness and focusing on the importance of caring for one's mental health.

Local entrepreneur, Kieran Davis, is this year's keynote speaker addressing attendees with personal anecdotes surrounding his journey with mental health and how societal stigmas impacted his life.

Other speakers include Penn State Shenango Associate Professor, Kevin McDade; Stamp Out Stigma founder, Jack Luchette and Shenango campus counselor Tony Paglia.

Paglia says an essential element of destigmatizing mental illness is having honest and open dialogue with others. 

"Opening up conversations about mental health is important because it helps remove the stigma of emotional well-being," he said. 

According to a 2020 statistic from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men were nearly four times more likely than women to commit suicide. 

Paglia says males are less likely to reach out for help; this event is designed to encourage hope and let people know treatment is available. 

"This is something we want to talk about so that we can not only save lives, but improve lives," he said. 

The event is free to the public; registration is not required.