World Mental Health Day will be celebrated around the world on 10 October. The day was created by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise public awareness of mental health issues.
It’s thought that around 154 million people around the world suffer from depression, so it’s likely that you or someone you know will be affected by mental illness during your lifetime.
World Mental Health Day aims to get us all talking openly about mental illnesses and the treatment and preventions that are available to us all.
The day will be organised with the help of the World Federation for Mental Health, which was founded in 1948 to prevent emotional and mental health disorders and help those who do suffer from them.
The World Health Organisation say that half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14 but most cases go undetected or diagnosed. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year olds. It’s so important to raise awareness among young people of the ways they can look after their mental health and parents and teachers need the correct tools and resources to support our young people.
Growing recognition of the importance of building mental resilience
Fortunately, there is a growing recognition of the importance of helping young people build mental resilience, from the earliest ages, in order to cope with the challenges of today’s world. Evidence is growing that promoting and protecting adolescent health brings benefits not just to adolescents’ health, both in the short- and the long-term, but also to economies and society, with healthy young adults able to make greater contributions to the workforce, their families and communities and society as a whole.
Prevention begins with better understanding
Much can be done to help build mental resilience from an early age to help prevent mental distress and illness among adolescents and young adults, and to manage and recover from mental illness. Prevention begins with being aware of and understanding the early warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. Parents and teachers can help build life skills of children and adolescents to help them cope with everyday challenges at home and at school. Psychosocial support can be provided in schools and other community settings and of course training for health workers to enable them to detect and manage mental health disorders can be put in place, improved or expanded.
What can you do to raise awareness on World Mental Health Day?
Well you can raise awareness and spread the word on social media by using the hashtag #WorldMentalHealthDay.
Visit the World Mental Health Day website for more details and don’t be afraid to talk about your problems on World Mental Health Day, October 10th, 2019.