New project wants to get the public speaking out more about mental health issues
Teams of people with first-hand experience of mental health conditions are to target hard to reach communities around Glasgow to improve people’s mental health.
The new project, ‘Don’t Bottle It – Talk About It’ will engage members of the public in discussions about mental health to reduce stigma around the topic.
Pop up teams will target places where mental health isn’t often addressed, such as workplaces, gyms, and areas where high levels of mental health issues exist, including the East End of Glasgow. They will also focus on gatherings of groups who are harder to engage, such as men.
The project has been created by the Glasgow Association for Mental Health with See Me, the national programme to end mental health discrimination.
People often don't get help due to the stigma of mental health issues - Frieda Park
Frieda Park, who is one of the leads on the project, said: “By reducing stigma the project will benefit the whole community whether they have mental health issues or not.
“People often don't get help due to the stigma of mental health issues. This makes it especially hard for them to talk about how they are feeling.
“It will help everyone to look after their own mental wellbeing and the mental wellbeing of others.”
The project hopes to improve current figures which show that nine out of 10 people who experience mental health problems have experienced stigma and discrimination.
A recent survey from See Me found that 45% of Scottish workers think that someone with a mental health problem would be unlikely to disclose this for fear of being discriminated against by colleagues.
By the end of the project they hope to create a model of discussing mental health in public, as well as make changes to the lives of those involved, and the people they meet.
Judith Robertson, See Me programme director, said: “Funding community projects which can directly challenge stigma is vitally important for us.
“Through the Community Innovation Fund we can support community groups to target the stigma in areas they know best, building a movement to tackle mental health stigma.
“To build this further we want to hear from groups and individuals in Glasgow who are passionate about ending stigma who have an idea of how they want to do it.”
See Me has funded the project as part of their Community Innovation Fund.
