World Mental Health Day raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders, and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year the theme for the day is “Depression: A Global Crisis”.
Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities, and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Although there are known effective treatments for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries and in some countries fewer than 10% of those who need it receive such treatment.
Mental Health Ireland is a national voluntary organisation which was established in 1966 as the Mental Health Association of Ireland. It is a company limited by guarantee with a voluntary Board of Directors representative of local Mental Health Associations and people with expertise in relevant areas.
There are 104 local Mental Health Associations currently affiliated to Mental Health Ireland. While they are autonomous, they share the mission of MHI and participate in projects organised at national level. Local MHAs are active in assisting to meet the mental health needs of the population of their own areas. MHI is affiliated to the World Federation for Mental Health and to Mental Health Europe.
The activities of Mental Health Ireland include:
- Supporting local Mental Health Associations in their work by providing information and training and through a network of Development Officers working around the country.
- Actively Campaigning and Advocating to improve national mental health policy and service provision.
- Providing an Information Service on issues relating to mental health and mental illness through information fact-sheets, this website and directly by telephone, post and email.
- Undertaking Research on mental health topics, such as the national survey on stress and the national survey on public attitudes to mental illness.
- Organising Conferences, Courses, Workshops and Seminars on a wide variety of issues relating to mental health. MHI also promotes and co-ordinates activities to celebrate World Mental Health Day on the 10th October each year.
- Developing Mental Health Promotion Programmes, including:
- The National Public Speaking Project for senior students in post-primary schools and colleges which promotes an awareness of the importance of positive mental health, while developing public speaking skills.
- Mental Health Matters, a mental health resource pack for 14-18 year olds which addresses the issue of mental health in a realistic, relevant and age appropriate manner.
Please visit the website for further information.
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