There has always been a stigma around mental health. Many people are scared to open up about how they are really feeling due to fear of judgment or ridcule. Recent studies have shown that mental illness is on the rise, with at least 1 in 4 people being diagnosed with a mental illness at some point in their life. It’s not just adults who are affected by mental illness, studies have also shown that anxiety and depression in children have risen by 48% since 2004.
In order to help raise awareness and to break the stigma behind talking openly about mental health, ITV has launched a campaign called ‘Britain Get Talking’. Part of a five-year project with the charity Mind, Britain Get Talking aims to encourage families to take a break from the screens and talk to each other. Backed by many famous faces, the campaign was launched during a live episode of Britain’s Got Talent where the importance of opening up about how you are feeling was expressed. ITV has also launched a silent AD campaign where families are encouraged to talk during the silent ad break between their favourite shows.
The campaign launched tied in with ‘World Mental Health Day’ which happened on the 10th of October. This year the theme of ‘World Mental Health Day’ was suicide prevention, in order to help raise awareness of the signs that someone is struggling and what you can do to help. Many celebrities spoke out about the importance of talking about mental health and even talked about their own battles with conditions such as depression and anxiety. Messages from celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, Prince Harry, Katie Piper, and Harry Styles have been trending worldwide.
The importance of talking openly about mental health has become exceptionally clear. Many companies are encouraging their employees to be open about how they are feeling and if they need to take time off, as well as offering different forms of support and resources such as counsellors and mentors. The stigma behind mental health needs to be broken as it is so common for so many people, suffering in silence should not be an option. Talking about it can help in so many ways.
At Human Support Group, we encourage all our employees to be open about how they are feeling, if they need help, we are here to support them. To follow our work with our employees and company updates, visit our social pages.
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