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Brian Wilson partners with US mental health charity

By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 21 September 2015

Brian Wilson has confirmed support for the Campaign To Change Direction, which aims to advance discussion and treatment of mental health issues in the US.

In a statement, Wilson said: “My wife, Melinda, and I are very excited to be a part of this important campaign, not only to bring awareness to the mental health issues faced by millions of Americans, but also to encourage everyone to learn the five signs of emotional suffering. It’s time for us to bring the conversation of mental health in America out of the shadows, and the Campaign To Change Direction is leading the way”.

As part of the partnership, Wilson will perform a benefit concert at the Hyatt Regency Tysons Corner Center in Washington DC on 4 Nov. The show will raise money for Give An Hour, the lead organisation behind the Campaign To Change Direction, which provides free mental health services to current and former military personnel.

The former Beach Boys frontman was approached to support the campaign following the release in the US of new biopic ‘Love & Mercy’, which depicts Wilson’s struggles with his own mental health.

Give An Hour founder Barbara Van Dahlen told Rolling Stone: “We still are struggling with exactly the same issues that prevented Brian from getting help [in the 1960s]. When [people] don’t get help, they can begin abusing substances. I would argue that’s what happened with his brother [Dennis]. He died, and history suggests that substance abuse played a big role. That’s why we start upstream. You don’t wait until somebody is drinking themselves into oblivion”.

See the Campaign To Change Direction website here.