The Mental Health Foundation, a UK charity states that, “The social challenge of our time is to reverse the growing level of mental ill health” and that, “Good mental health is fundamental to thriving in life. It is the essence of who we are and how we experience the world. Yet, compared to physical health, so little is commonly known about mental ill health and how to prevent it. That must change.”
There has been a growing call for some time for a change in the way we view mental health which should be given equal priority to our physical health. A 10-year-plan for the NHS is expected to put mental health at its centre, amid concern about rising levels of anxiety and depression particularly in the younger generations.
The Mental Health Foundation have been organising Mental Health Awareness Week since 2001 which they say has helped raise awareness on topics including stress, relationships, loneliness, sleep, alcohol and friendship. This year, Mental Health Awareness week will focus on the subject of body image issues.
Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, has warned (The Telegraph, 2018) that the health service is picking up the pieces of mental health problems fuelled by social media.
You can read more about Mental Health Awareness Week here:
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week
