World Mental Health Day
“You don’t have to be an expert to talk about mental health. Like our bodies, our minds can become unwell, so starting a conversation about mental health is important. It helps people to recover. It can strengthen a relationship between friends, family and colleagues. And it starts to take the taboo out of something that affects us all.” – The Time to Change Organization, UK
By: Olivia Pickett
Mental health unites millions around the world. It’s also something people struggle with globally. Currently, mental and substance use disorders are estimated to affect 13% of the population – this translates to more than 970 million people worldwide. Take a second to think about that. Take all of the people living in the United States, multiply that number by three, and that’s how many people are suffering from mental health problems on our planet.
This year for World Mental Health Day, which occurs on Thursday, October 10th, many campaigns are focusing on suicide prevention by shedding a light on the topic with another sobering statistic - every 40 seconds, someone in our world dies by suicide.
Based on this statistic, The World Health Organization is encouraging those across the globe to take 40 seconds to improve awareness and knowledge of mental health and suicide by sharing stats, kickstarting conversations with those who are struggling, supporting friends, family, coworkers, engaging political leaders, and more. Other organizations, such as Speak Your Mind, are calling for support of The Global Voice Petition, which focuses on mental health action for all.
To raise awareness for World Mental Health Day this year, we’re taking a trip around the world to see how different countries are doing their part to raise awareness about mental illness, bring together global leaders, start conversations, and provide support to their community.
The World Federation for Mental Health and the Argentinian Association for Mental Health (AASM) will host the World Mental Health Congress in Buenos Aires in November. This event will bring together almost 5,000 delegates from 73 countries with the aim of critically evaluating the practices that are currently necessary to approach mental illness. Adopting a “rights perspective”, the hope is that this aim will be achieved by working to ensure people with a mental illness have the right to live in the community and close to their loved ones, make choices about their treatment, have the right to work, live in decent housing, and — most essentially — to not be stigmatized or excluded from their health system or their community.
Mental Health Australia is promoting their social media campaign – “Make a Promise” to encourage the world to see beyond stigma and make mental health more visible by making a #MentalHealthPromise. Some examples of promises you can pledge on their website include bringing mental health awareness to your workplace, providing support to loved ones, or sharing your own personal journey.
The LifeSpring Institute in Bangladesh, a leading community-based mental health institute, is raising awareness about mental health throughout all of October by offering online meditations, free counseling services, positive parenting tips, and more for their community!
Last year, The Government of Canada announced their allocation of $11 billion over 10 years to provincial and territorial governments to support home and community care, as well as mental health and addiction services. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) is also hosting a three-day Mental Health for All Conference to bring together health care providers, front-line workers, researchers, funders, policy makers and people with lived experience of mental illness. The theme this year is addressing the urgent need to alleviate the distress of our world today, while building resilience for the world to come.
In China, two organizations, Lifeline and Unravel, are teaming-up for a mental health storytelling event. The event titled, “Unravel: Lived Experiences” will feature a live storytelling event for people to share their experiences regarding mental health issues, illnesses and more, with an interactive Q&A section with the storytellers and volunteer mental health professionals. The event aims to provide a space where people can feel connected, empowered, and informed through shared experiences.
With the help of The International Medical Corps, communities in Jordan celebrate World Mental Health Day in the CARE Center village by teaching relaxation techniques to reduce stress in the work environment. They also use local music and drama performances to promote mental health in their community of the Azarq Camp.
Singapore recently hosted the 9th International Conference Against Stigma to promote mental health awareness and fight stigma with the goals of moving towards an inclusive society. This year, the international conference and global community discussed social inclusion in the workplace and community, the power of social media movements, and recovering from traumatic life experiences.
With the help of The International Medical Corps, South Sudan will celebrate World Mental Health Day through many different activities, such as folk songs, traditional dances, drama, and sports to help connect to the community, including 15,000 participants at the event . Their past goals have included educating employers about how they can support self-care and wellbeing; addressing the negative attitudes and prejudices associated with mental health in the workplace; empowering individuals and employers to take actions that promote mental health resilience; and spreading the understanding of employment practices that support good mental health.
This year, London will celebrate World Mental Health Day with a free-pop-up interactive exhibition on mental health and the impact of suicide at The Museum of Lost & Found Potential created by Speak Your Mind. The exhibition reveals the stark and powerful picture of potential that is lost across the world due to neglected mental health and suicide. It also shows the potential of everything that can be found when people receive the support they need.
Additionally, organizations like Young Minds in the UK are encouraging everyone to wear yellow for their #HelloYellow campaign to show young people they are not alone when struggling with their mental health by ensuring that this World Mental Health Day is the biggest, brightest, and most impactful yet.
Countless organizations across the US, including This Is My Brave, continue to raise awareness surrounding mental health by bringing stories of mental illness and addiction out of the shadows and into the spotlight with over 700 storytellers and 60 shows in more than 30 cities to date. This is My Brave is celebrating all throughout October with events in Arkansas, Idaho, Massachusetts, Maryland, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. To find an event happening near you check out their events page.
LOOKING FOR MORE WAYS TO ENGAGE WITH WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY?
Shout from the rooftops! Share your personal story, research, support, or any connection to mental health by using the hashtag #WorldMentalHealthDay on Twitter or other social media platforms.
Reach out to local advocacy groups, community health centers, or volunteer organizations and see how you can get involved in their current initiatives.
Support researchers in their work to prevent mental illness from ever occurring.
Lend a hand to a family member, friend or colleague who you suspect may be struggling.
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741.