Virtual platform aims to address stigmas against mental illness
People are encouraged to send a 'note to self' to a virtual platform to help support each other and destigmatise mental health problems.
THIS past Saturday was World Mental Health Day (Saturday, 10 October) and this year everyone had been asked to share their thoughts in an online campaign to promote understanding of mental illness.
Mental health and well-being are as important as any other metric to measure health.
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This year the theme for the day was ‘Greater investment, greater access. Everyone, everywhere,’ and people were encouraged to tackle those things which make accessing mental healthcare difficult for everyone, everywhere.
Invest in mental health
South African mental health network, Akeso, got onboard by trying to facilitate the understanding needed in order to take some of the misconceptions fuelling mental health stigma.
“This year’s theme highlights the significance of mental health to everyone, how important it is to ensure that each and every one of us invest in our own mental well-being, and that as a global society, we must invest more resources in mental health services to ensure equitable access for everyone, no matter where they are,” said Dr Sandile Mhlongo, managing director of Akeso.
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Mhlongo noted that, perhaps only secondary to under funding, the stigma around mental health remains one of the greatest challenges impacting access to care.
“This happens when one worries what others might think of them should they seek care. Often there are misconceptions that mental health afflictions like depression and anxiety indicate a level of ‘weakness’ and that you should ‘just get through’ any issues you are facing,” he said.
Note to self
With this in mind, Akeso launched a ‘note to self’ mental health campaign on World Mental Health Day, in order to address some of the misconceptions around mental health, and promote understanding of these experiences.
An online platform has been established and people are encouraged to leave anonymous contributions in the form of a note to themselves via https://forms.gle/EGoK5fd4vtdcXKXM8.
The platform will remain open from 10 October to 10 November.
The messages received will then be posted to a virtual message board where individuals can look for their own notes while gaining insight by reading the notes posted by others.
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