WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2023
World Mental Health Day encourages us all to have conversations about mental health and reminds us that it’s okay to ask for help.
TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
Talking about mental health is very beneficial. However, starting a conservation about your own mental health can be tough. Whether you’d like to talk about your own feelings or check in with someone else, here are some tips from the Mental Health Foundation that can help:
Talking about your own mental health:
1. Choose someone you trust to talk to – this could be a friend, colleague, family member or even someone you don’t know e.g. a helpline
2. Think about the best place to talk – This should be somewhere you feel comfortable
3. Prepare yourself for their reaction - Give your trusted person some time to process what you’ve told them. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself and practise self-care.
Checking in with someone else:
1. Find a good space to talk without distractions - Find a place where you know you can have a conversation without being distracted. Make sure to give them your full attention.
2. Listen and ask questions - Show them that you’re actively listening by facing them, making eye contact, and not interrupting. Questions can help you clarify what they mean and also show that you’re actively listening.
3. Ask how you can help - or make suggestions, rather than telling them what to do next.
MENTAL HEALTH IS A UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHT
This year’s theme for World Mental Health Day highlights how some groups face more barriers to good mental health than others.
1. People in the lowest income bracket are 2-3 times more likely to develop mental health problems than in the highest.
2. Asylum seekers are 5 times more likely to have mental health problems than the general population.
3. 38% of people with severe symptoms of mental health problems also have long-term physical conditions.
These staggering statistics show examples of the inequalities that need to be addressed. Get involved in celebrating World Mental Health Day to help raise awareness and achieve good mental health for all!
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, you are not alone, and there are places you can go to get help.
For more information and ways to get involved this World Mental Health Day please click here to visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website.