Trust gets behind Mind Week 2009 and urges men to get talking
South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which provides specialist mental health and learning disability services to people in Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, is backing mental health charity, Mind in its bid to get men talking about their mental health during Mind Week 2009.
Mind Week is an annual event that is taking place between 9 -15 May this year. Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales and works to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress.
Mind observes that although men and women experience mental health problems in roughly equal numbers, men are much less likely to be diagnosed and treated for it.
One in three men with depression and anxiety feels embarrassed about asking for help but Mind, along with South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust want to encourage them to come forward and seek support.
To mark the beginning of Mind Week on 9 May, Mind will launch its campaign which will raise awareness of the issue of men and mental health.
The Trust’s chief executive Steven Michael said, "Men are not always the most forthcoming when it comes to talking about how they feel and can be reluctant to admit concerns over their health. The fact that Mind is addressing this issue as part of their campaign is fantastic and the Trust joins the charity in urging any men who might be worried about their mental health to seek help."
He continued, "Our Trust has just been authorised as a Foundation trust, which means we are accountable to local people through our membership. We have over 11,000 local members which is very encouraging and shows that, locally, people are becoming more comfortable with talking about their mental wellbeing, just as they would talk about their physical health. Initiatives like Mind Week help to reinforce the message that mental ill health is nothing to be ashamed of and there is support available."
To get involved in Mind Week visit www.mind.org.uk where you can find out when and where the campaign’s events will be taking place, read personal stories written by men about their mental health, tell your own story, and make a donation to the charity.
To find about more about specific mental health problems visit www.nhs.uk . If you are concerned about your own mental health consult your GP.