World Mental Health Day is acknowledged on October 10th every year. The World Federation for Mental Health has declared the theme of World Mental Health Day 2020 as; ‘Mental Health for All.’
Although the day is important every year that it passes by, this year it is considered to be of a higher importance than usual as a result of the months of lockdown and loss that the world has faced. Everyone has experienced lockdown, furlough, or job losses and the world population has been under immense pressure. The consequences of the pandemic are being felt differently by everyone, but it is becoming apparent that it has taken a toll on everyone’s mental health. With this being a key focus this year, there is a larger motivation for bringing everyone together to mark the day and a huge encouragement for everyone to do one thing for better mental health.
Research, conducted by MIND, stated that “with over 16,000 people, we know that more than half of adults (60%) and over two thirds of young people (68%) said their mental health got worse during lockdown. We know that many have developed new mental health problems as a result of the pandemic and, for some of us, existing mental health problems have gotten worse.” With this in mind, it is expected that the need for psychosocial and mental health support will significantly rise in the coming months and years. The World Health Organisation has emphasised that national and international investment into mental health programmes is now more important than it has been before and so the goal of this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign is increased investment in mental health for all.
MIND and the World Health Organisation have published a variety of online resources for people to use and they are providing additional support for everyone that may need it. They are both running publicised campaigns to reach out to everyone that has found themselves struggling and it is hoped that this may urge people to reach out for help. MIND is promoting “Do One Thing For You,” and this encompasses anything from learning a new skill or doing something creative, to taking the first steps in asking for support. They have a variety of resources available on their website to help with this and are urging everyone to take the first steps to bettering their own mental health this World Mental Health Day.
Header by volunteer designer Annabel Smith.
Article Edited by Izzie Naish – Label News Editor.
