AUGUSTA (AP) — Gov. Paul LePage and advocates are seeking to raise awareness and education about mental illness in Maine.

The Republican governor declared Oct. 6-12 Mental Illness Awareness Week.

Maine’s chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness said one in four Maine residents are affected by mental illnesses like severe anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder every year.

In his proclamation, LePage said society often wrongly imposes a stigma on mental illness and says all Maine residents can help improve the lives of those living with the disorders.