World Mental Health Day
It is the 20th anniversary of World Mental Health Day on 10 October and YoungMinds wants to know what you are doing in your different areas to celebrate.
World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues and aims to promote a discussion around the issues including investment in prevention, promotion and treatment services.
World Mental Health Day was initiated by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) in 1992 and many countries adopted it as a means of promoting mental health. Each year the WFMH decides on a theme and produces educational material around the issue. This year the theme is depression.
World Mental Health Day 2012 aims to encourage governments and society around the world to address depression as a widespread illness that affects individuals, their families and their peers, and to recognise that it is a treatable condition. It is estimated that 350 million people globally are affected by depression and the day aims to get the message across that depression is a treatable condition.
Depression is a common mental health problem and symptoms of depression include:-
- not wanting to do things that you previously enjoyed,
- not wanting to meet up with friends or avoiding situations
- sleeping more or less than normal
- eating more or less than normal
- feeling irritable, upset, miserable or lonely
- being self-critical
- feeling hopeless
- maybe wanting to self-harm
- feeling tired and not having any energy.
Two per cent of children under 12 experience depression, and this rises to five per cent among teenagers which is at least one depressed child in every classroom. One in 10 adults can experience depression at some point.
There are a number of ways to get help and treat depression – see more information on our website.
YoungMinds wants to hear what you or your organisation is doing to celebrate World Mental Health Day.
The Mental Health Foundation is marking the occasion with a ‘Tea and Talk’ event and Time to Change have highlighted some events that are taking place around the regions.
Get in touch on the comments below and let us know what you are doing in your areas or contact erin.wright@youngminds.org.uk
You can find out more on depression here.
There is more information about World Mental Health Day and the World Mental Health Federation here.
