How Are You? No… Really, How Are You?
1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem this year.
That’s a huge statistic, isn’t it. If you look around your office right now, at least someone in your eye-line will likely have a mental health concern. But would they feel comfortable speaking up about it?
Today is World Mental Health Day, a chance to start conversations around the stigma of mental health, and show our support to family, friends, and colleagues who may be struggling, or even to recognise in ourselves a need to reach out for help.
Mental health is as important as physical health. In the UK, the most common form of mental illness is anxiety and depression, with up to 10% of people in England predicted to experience a depressive episode in their lifetime. It should be incumbent upon all of us to talk more openly about mental health in our homes and workplaces in order to reduce stigma and provide people with a chance to reach out and seek help when they are struggling.
So take the opportunity today to consider your own mental health, as well as that of those around you, and start those conversations. It may just be the helping hand you didn’t know was needed.
For more information about mental health and how to access support in the UK, please visit these links below.
MIND, the Mental Health Charity
SANE, Meeting the Challenge of Mental Illness
YOUNG MINDS, Mental Health Support for Children, Young People, and their Parents
