World Mental Health Day
On Monday 10 October we will be joining this year’s campaign and calling for severe mental illness to be a global priority. We know that more people are experiencing poor mental health because of the rising cost of living. We also know that this disproportionately affects people living with severe mental illness.
For those of us experiencing mental illness, we live in an unequal world. There’s no two ways about it. Stigma. Discrimination. Lack of support. Limited access to housing, employment and welfare. It doesn’t make good reading.
Things are slowly starting to change. Stigma around some mental health issues such as anxiety and depression have improved, the NHS Long Term Plan has committed to creating a community model of mental health care and the government is in the process of reforming the Mental Health Act. But, put bluntly, this is nowhere near enough.
Black people are still four times more likely than their white counterparts to be sectioned. LGBT+ people are at more risk of suicidal behaviour and self-harm than non-LGBT+ people. People living with severe mental illness still have a shorter life expectancy than others. And the the cost of living crisis is plunging thousands of people across the country into debt.
This is the reality of mental health in an unequal world. This is inequality. And it has to change.
We are looking for people to get involved in our campaign by telling us why you think severe mental illness should be a priority. Record a short clip or share a few words finishing the sentence ‘severe mental illness should be a priority because…’ Post your video on your social media channels, tag us and help to raise awareness of why severe mental illness should be top of the agenda.
Remember to tag us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and help us make mental health a priority for all.