Every year, World Mental Health Day is celebrated on 10th October. The theme for 2023, set by the World Foundation of Mental Health, is ‘Mental Health is a universal human right’.
World Mental Health Day is about raising awareness of mental health and driving positive change for everybody’s mental health. It’s also a change to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to get help if you are struggling.
Top tips for talking about mental health
We know by now that the first step to getting help is to talk about your mental health, but we also know that starting a conversation like this isn’t as easy as talking about the weather! Here are some tips for getting that initial conversation going.
Talking about your mental health:
Pick somebody you trust - this could be a friend, family member or a colleague; you might find it easier to talk to somebody you don’t know and there are support helplines for this.
Find the best place to talk - you want to feel comfortable in the place you decide to open up; whether this is somewhere private where it’s unlikely you’ll be disturbed, or whilst doing an activity, such as walking
Prepare yourself for their reaction - hopefully, you will have a good experience when you open up to someone, but there is a chance they not react in the way you hope. There’s a few different reasons for this; maybe they are worried about you, or don’t fully understand at first - they may need time to process what you have told them.
Talking to someone about their mental health:
Find a good place to talk without distractions - if you’re worried about someone, try to find somewhere to talk to them where you won’t get distracted. Give them your full attention.
Listen and ask questions - one of the most valuable ways to be there for someone is to listen to them. Show them you’re actively listening by facing them, making eye contact, and not interrupting. Questions can help clarify meaning and show you’re actively listening, but ensure the questions are relevant to what they are saying.
Ask how you can help - do this and make suggestions, try not to tell them what to do next. They might want support making a GP appointment, help around the house, or just for you to keep things normal and chat about what’s going on in your life.
We’ve all been living through difficult and uncertain times recently. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, down or anxious, whether you are worrying about big stuff or small stuff. It may help to talk about how you are feeling.
Your GP surgery (us) is your first point of call if you have concerns about your mental health that won’t go away, we offer lots of different services, with varying levels of involvement to try and help you.
You can call the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub by calling 111 if you need support when the GP is closed or unavailable.
There are other options for free, confidential support by phone or online. You can:
Call the Samaritans on 116 123 at any time of the day/night
Message SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 text support on your mobile
If you are a child or young person, call Childline on 0800 1111 or talk to them online
Call the CALM helpline on 0800 58 58 58 or use their webchat - they are open from 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year
Find more information regarding mental health here: