World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day, the important day of focus during Mental Health Week. Over the last thirty years events like Mental Health Week have done great work in raising the awareness of mental health care and mental health issues. These events and campaigns have raised important issues about mental health and helped to Change some wrong and negative perceptions about mental illness.

These changing attitudes have helped reduce the stigma and discrimination about having mental health problems. Mental health advocacy organisations have brought research into mental illness and the way it is treated into the public arena. The greater discussion about mental health into all areas of policy making and reform has seen improvement of mental health care services.

There is still a long way to go. As many as 20 per cent of Australians experience mental health problems each year. Better and wider understanding of mental health has been a great thing. It is crucial that we have this wider understanding of mental health because part of that understanding is that fact that mental health issues affect so many people in our communities.

The Australian Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Week has helped changed the attitudes and understanding of mental health. So many high profile advocates, speakers and organisations have given their support and are spreading the word about mental health issues across every aspect of our society. If you want to know more about mental health issues, we have some listed some helpful support services on our resources page.