Provider of mental health services supporting Depression Awareness Week
The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is getting behind Depression Awareness Week by encouraging local people to seek help if they are worried that they or someone they know may be experiencing symptoms of depression.
Depression Awareness Week is an annual event run by the Depression Alliance to raise awareness amongst the general public about the realities of depression. The Depression Alliance is the leading UK charity for people affected by depression and works to relieve and prevent the condition by providing information and support services.
The Trust, which provides mental health and learning disability services to the people of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, is encouraging anyone experiencing depression not to suffer in silence and to seek help if they need it.
People are also encouraged to visit the Depression Alliance website at www.depressionalliance.org for information about the symptoms of and treatments for depression, and local groups that can offer help and advice.
As well as raising awareness about depression the week also aims to tackle the stigma that so often surrounds it.
Earlier this year, the Trust launched its own ‘Help us stop stigma in 2010’ poster campaign. A series of nine posters have been displayed across the area and local communities are encouraged to display posters in shops, places of worship, community settings or anywhere else they feel is appropriate. Posters can be obtained, free of charge, by calling 01924 327567 or emailing comms@swyt.nhs.uk
Chair of the Trust Joyce Catterick said, “Around 1 in 10 of us experience depression in any year, but it is a problem that is often overlooked and misunderstood. We are keen to support the Depression Alliance in raising awareness of this common mental health problem and increase understanding. People can feel down for a short time, but sometimes low moods can last longer and can be hard to shake off. In these cases it can be increasingly difficult to cope with daily life and it is very important that people seek help.
She continued “We are wholeheartedly behind this campaign and want to support the Depression Alliance to tackle the stigma attached to depression and mental health and ensure that people worried about their mental wellbeing feel able to seek the help they need. We want people to realise that depression is very common and that people need help to recover from severe forms of depression, just as they would from any other serious illness, and that help is available.”
If you are worried about your own mental health visit your GP. For more information about Depression Awareness Week visit http://www.depressionalliance.org/.