Major mental health information campaign launched
A major public information campaign on mental health in Northern Ireland will be launched on Monday 12 March 2007 at the Movie House Yorkgate in Belfast.
The campaign, ‘Minding your head’, was developed by the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland (HPA) in response to actions outlined in Protect life: a shared vision, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety’s (DHSSPS) suicide prevention strategy and the Promoting Mental Health Strategy and Action Plan.1,2
At least one in five people in Northern Ireland suffer from a mental health problem, yet very few people are willing to talk about it openly.3 Those with mental health problems often face stigma and discrimination, and fear of these can prevent them from accessing help and hinder their recovery.4
Dr Brian Gaffney, Chief Executive of the HPA, speaking at the launch, said: “Mental health should be a concern for all of us, not only those who suffer from a mental health problem. A major priority in promoting good mental health and working towards reducing the number of deaths by suicide in Northern Ireland is to raise awareness of mental health and reduce the level of stigma surrounding mental health problems.
“Having a mental health problem is no different to having a physical health problem. It’s a matter of recognising the symptoms, finding a way of treating the problem and looking after your mental wellbeing to avoid getting sick again. Ignoring mental health problems won’t make them go away, it will just make them worse.”
‘Minding your head’, aims to challenge the stigma surrounding mental health problems and encourage a more positive attitude to seeking help, as well as to increase awareness and understanding that it is possible to control and influence mental wellbeing.
The campaign will focus on mental health for adults and young men in the 16-24 age group. The adult campaign will centre on the fact that mental health problems are not uncommon and can be experienced by anyone, including those who are considered ‘successful’. The young men campaign will emphasise the importance of sharing problems for good mental health and encourage young men to talk to a friend, family member or doctor.
The campaign also highlights a number of practical things we can all do to protect our mental health, such as talking about it, asking for help, keeping active, getting involved in activities and trying to relax, as well as looking out for the signs of a possible mental health problem.
Dr Gaffney continued: “There are many misconceptions about mental health as shown in recent research carried out by the HPA into public attitudes to mental health. We found that knowledge of mental health was very limited, with more than three fifths (63%) of people underestimating the prevalence of mental health problems in Northern Ireland. Over half (54%) of those surveyed agreed that they would not want people to know if they were experiencing a mental health problem and 46% said they would be afraid of experiencing mental health problems themselves in the future and that people with mental health problems should not be allowed to do important jobs.”4
‘Minding your head’ includes television, radio and press advertisements, information leaflets, posters, and a dedicated website www.mindingyourhead.info which will be live from Monday 12 March.
END
Notes to the editor:
The ‘Minding your head’ campaign will be launched by the DHSSPS at the Movie House Yorkgate in Belfast from 9.45am on Monday 12 March.
The television advertising focusing on adults will also be broadcast in the Republic of Ireland.
For media enquiries contact:
Rosie McGaughey or Jenny Dougan at the HPA on Tel: 028 9031 1611.
1Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Protect life: a shared vision. The Northern Ireland suicide prevention strategy and action plan 2006-2011. Belfast: DHSSPS, 2006.
2Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Promoting mental health strategy and action plan 2003-2008. Belfast: DHSSPS, 2003.
3Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Northern Ireland health and social wellbeing survey 2006. Belfast: NISRA, 2007.
4Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland. Public attitudes, perceptions and understanding of mental health in Northern Ireland. Belfast: HPA, March 2007.
