Editor’s letter: Lifting the lid on mental health stigma

It feels like we’ve come a long way since Healthy Food Guide first published this little booklet of practical ways to support mental well-being.

In the two years that have past, people already seem to be speaking more openly about their mental health. There appears to be a little less stigma and a little more awareness when it comes to anxiety and depression, for instance. Some schools and employers are starting to get their heads round their role in supporting wellness, in all its forms, and even the Government pledged to put people’s well-being at the heart of its policies, this year.

This is all really positive, and I hope the momentum continues to build. But not only that, I hope public services to help treat people who are struggling with mental health problems are resourced, reinforced and streamlined to be able to help cope with demand, as more people feel safe to reach out for help. And we can all help with this by taking good care of our own mental well-being and that of the people who matter to us.

Just like we do for our physical health, there are things we can do every day to build our resilience and ability to cope when life gets tough.

There are also things we can do every day to help the people in our lives who might be struggling, by proactively making them feel loved, heard, understood and supported. That’s what our mental health content is all about: How to care for yourself and others. Because good health is about the whole person, body, mind and soul. Who knows, by the time we publish the next edition of Better Mental Health and Resilience our insight into mental illness might be so great, asking for help will be as easy and accepted as going to the doctor for a sore throat. Goals!