World Mental Health Day
The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health Day as 10 October every year. The objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world. And also help mobilise efforts in support of mental health. It’s also an opportunity for those working in mental health to talk about their work and the issues they face.
Good Mental Health
It’s important to realise that being mentally healthy isn’t just the absence of a mental health problem. To be truly in good mental health, you must be able to:
- Make the most of your potential,
- Cope adequately with life and
- Be able to play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.
Further, good mental health is characterised by a your ability to learn, the ability to feel, express and manage your emotions, the ability to form and maintain good relationships. Finally, it’s also marked by the ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty.
The theme this year was set by the World Federation for Mental Health and is ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’. As Jagmeet Singh (Canadian Politician) said, “To me poverty, mental health, and addictions don’t sound like criminal justice problems. They sound to me like a social justice problem”.
Equal Access
The last few years have highlighted inequalities in mental health. Issues such as race and ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination. Another issue is the lack of respect for human rights in many countries, including for people living with mental health conditions. These inequalities have an enormous impact on people’s mental health.
It is thought that between 75% and 95% of people with mental disorders in low and middle income countries are unable to access mental health services at all. Access in high income countries is not perfect either. Lack of investment in mental health compared to the overall health budget contributes to a significant mental health treatment gap.
Stigma
I have written before about the stigma and discrimination experienced by people who experience mental ill health. It not only affects a person’s physical and mental health. The stigma also affects their educational opportunities, current and future earning and job prospects. And this also affects their families and loved ones.
The 2021 World Mental Health Day campaign ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’ will enable us to focus on the issues that perpetuate mental health inequality, both locally and globally.
If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health and you think they could benefit from hypnotherapy then contact me.
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