Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

The speaker will illustrate the different types of stigma experienced by people with mental illness and examine whether living in a rural or urban community makes life easier for them. A large percentage of homeless people have mental illness and are found in bigger cities, however research indicate that per capita, mental illness occur equally in rural settings where very little homelessness appear. Do people with mental illness gravitate to large population centers? Speaker: Dr. Austin Mardon Austin Mardon was born in Edmonton but raised in Lethbridge where he finished his degree at the University of Lethbridge. While an undergraduate geography student, he was accepted as a field scientist on the ASMET NSF/NASA sponsored Antarctic meteorite recovery expedition. His descent into mental illness slowly started after he returned from Antarctica suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He was able to complete two additional graduate degrees in the USA before suffering a complete breakdown, and