Celebrating world mental health day in Wakefield

Wakefield will be celebrating World Mental Health Day in style at special events being held at Pontefract Town Hall (9th October) and Treacey Hall, Wakefield Cathedral (11th October). Members of the public, health and social care staff and mental health service users and carers are all invited to join in the celebrations and learn about mental health issues.

At each event visitors will have the opportunity to try out arts activities and complimentary therapies and an array of voluntary, health and social care organisations will be giving out information, advice and support on mental health. Castleford High School will be performing a play about mental health issues facing young people. Other activities organisers are hoping to offer include street theatre and even stress-busting plate smashing!

The events have been organised by the South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust (SWYMHT) in partnership with the Community Cohesion Team and the two Wakefield PCTs (primary care NHS trusts).

Phil Walters, head of public involvement and inclusion at SWYMHT says, "We’re hoping that this year’s events will be more interactive and we’ve chosen town centre venues for the events so we can involve the whole community in the celebrations. World mental health day plays an important role in removing the stigma that is often associated with mental illness and it will give people the opportunity to celebrate their own mental health."

The events are just two of many celebrations taking place across South West Yorkshire Mental Health Trust and the throughout the world that aim to raise the profile of mental health issues and help to remove the stigma that surround mental illness. The first World Mental Health Day took place on 10th October 1992. It was started by the World Federation for Mental Health with the aim of promoting mental health advocacy and educating the public in issues surrounding mental health problems.

For more information contact SWYMHT’s PALS (patient advice and liaison service) on 0800 5872108.

Mental health factfile • 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year • 1 in 6 people will have depression at some point in their life • Over 91 million working days are lost to mental ill health every year. • 1 in 10 people are likely to have a ‘disabling anxiety disorder’ at some stage in their life. For manic depression and schizophrenia this figure is 1 in 100 • 15% of people over 65 have depression. • 75 per cent of all suicides are by men. (Source: Mental Health Foundation)