Blaming mass shootings on mental illness leads to stigma, experts warn

Psychologists and psychiatrists speak out against Trump after he blamed mental illness for El Paso and Dayton mass shootings. Read newspaper article here

Brave words: a photographic project is helping people with mental health issues express how they truly feel - The Guardian

The thing about mental illness,” says journalist Bryony Gordon, “is that it doesn’t want to be on the outside. It wants to be in your self and it wants you alone, isolated, thinking you’re a freak. That’s how it thrives. It does not want you to talk about it being there.” Read newspaper article here

Tackle poverty, improve mental health

Mental health discourse welcomed an unexpected participant this month. Prince Harry, the fifth in line to the throne, spoke publicly about seeking counselling following his mother’s sudden death in his pre-teen years. Rightly, mental health charities praised his intervention, highlighting as it did that even extreme privilege cannot shelter us from depression, anxiety or any other psychiatric illness. Our bodies are fragile, and our minds equally so: this message is increasingly accepted as people with mental health problems, campaigners and medics alike have fought to end stigma by building a national conversation on mental health, but we also need to tackle poverty.

Mental health workers struggle with stigma about their own issues

Understanding around mental health is improving: campaigns such as Time To Change have drawn public awareness to the issue and employers are realising the affects of dedicated wellbeing support to staff – which have led to a 30% reduction in mental health-related absences. But surprisingly, stigma still exists for those working in mental healthcare themselves.

Time to Talk Day: the mental health statistics you need to know

Time to Talk Day, an annual drive by Time to Change, is a campaign led by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, intended to encourage people to speak out about their mental health and end widespread stigma.

Launched in 2014 and held on the first Thursday in February, the day has reached millions of people, enabling vital conversations about mental illness at work, in schools, and between friends and families. It's also a chance for bosses to think about stigma at the workplace, and includes an Employer Pledge.

Cultural trend of not discussing mental health needs to stop

We need to stop saying 'I'm fine', says Kate Leaver

Every day, all over the world, people are answering the question "How are you?" with a casual, non-committal "I’m fine". Like a chorus of mundanity: "I’m fine", "I’m fine", "I’m fine". We say it as a matter of habit and, especially, when we’re anything but fine. It’s the easiest way to stop follow-up questions and the simplest way to signal to the world that you’ve got your stuff together. It’s also the fastest way to shut down any genuine conversation about how we really are.