Mental Health Promotion

Medical treatment is only one part of the support that we need in treating mental illness. All staff working in services have a responsibility to address the wider needs of the ‘whole person’: for example, for employment or other occupational activity, for suitable housing and for their appropriate entitlement to benefits. Family, friends, schools, employers, faith communities and neighbourhoods all have an important role to play, too, in enabling people with mental health problems to enjoy the same range of services and facilities within the community as everyone else.

Many of the factors which influence mental health lie outside health and social care, so mental health promotion is relevant to the implementation of a wide range of policy initiatives, including social inclusion, neighbourhood renewal and health at work. Effective mental health promotion depends on harnessing expertise, resources and partnerships across all sectors and disciplines.

Mental Health Promotion in East Kent
Stigma and Prejudice
Myths around mental illness

Mental Health Promotion in East Kent

The process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health
Health promotion staff also cover these subjects:

pie chart breakdown of Health Promotion topics

fig 1. breakdown of Health Promotion topics

Stigma and Prejudice

“Sticks and stone may break your bone
but names will never harm you”…

We all know this isn’t true. Some of the words used in mental health cause offence and upset. Lots of people who have mental health problems find the names they are called are as difficult to deal with as the illness.

Words such as psycho, nutter, loony are no longer acceptable.

We all have mental health, some days are better than others. Some of us have short term mental health problems which pass.  Others have longer term conditions which they manage like any other long-term illness e.g. asthma or diabetes.

GPs can successfully treat 90% of people who visit them with mental health concerns.

You can not spot a person with mental health problems. 1 in 4 people have a mental health problem.

Famous people who have had mental illnesses include:

(from mindout 1-4 campaign - department of health, now time-to-change www.time-to-change.org.uk)

Many people will manage to hold down careers and have fulfilling lives. Having a mental illness does not mean that your life is over – just another chapter beginning. Many famous people are admitting to having had or having a mental health problem. This will help to break the stigma and prejudice that many people who suffer from mental illnesses say they experience.

2008 research (time-to-change) that 1 out of 3 people admitted they would find it hard to tell someone close if they had a mental health problem compared to 1 in 5 having a difficulty in saying if they were gay, had an alcohol addiction or problems in debt. 1 in 12 said they would find it difficult to say if they had cancer.

play A Place at the Table short film

A Place at the Table
A film by 1 in 4 Theatre company exporing the issues around stigma and prejudice

Myths around mental illness

Some common myths:

People with mental illnesses are violent and dangerous.
FALSE. Violent crimes committed by people with mental health problems are decreasing. People with mental health problems are more likely to hurt themselves than anyone else.

People with mental illnesses are less intelligent.
FALSE. Much research shows that many people with mental illnesses have average or above average intelligence. Mental illnesses affects EVERYONE regardless of gender, race, social income or class.

Mental illness is due to personal weakness.
FALSE. Mental illnesses is not a personal flaw or because people are lazy and will not “pull themselves together”. Mental illness is a real bodily disease. People do have an important part in their recovery, but people do not choose to become mentally (or physically) ill.

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