Let’s talk about… mental health

At What I See we like to help our contributors pinpoint, articulate and discuss the issues that matter to them. And that’s why we’re rolling out the #WISPchat red carpet tomorrow for World Mental Health Day.

Okay, okay, so it’s actually World Mental Health Day today, and our twitter conversation will be tomorrow – but #WISPchat Fridays are becoming as much of a pre-weekend institution as fish ‘n’ chips (well…maybe not quite as much. But nearly.)

We’re blogging today about mental health because despite certain leaps and bounds, we seem to keep drawing a veil of stigma over a problem that affects a staggering one in four people every year in the UK, and 10% of children at any one time.

There have been some encouraging steps forward: role models such as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Stephen Fry have spoken openly about their struggles, going some way to dismantling the axe-wielding-maniac image. But most of what we read and hear about mental health sufferers is negative press, and there still exists a huge gap in our understanding about its nuances.

If you want to scout some stats, head to the Mental Health Foundation website.   Here’s an interesting one: although rates show men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women, women are more likely to have been treated for mental health problems than men – that gives us some food for thought regarding how different genders deal with mental health. Do men tend to be more ashamed, or less likely to seek help than women? Why?

We’ve had some really thoughtful contributions relating to mental health. Why not explore some of the stories – and participate in our #WISPchat from 2pm tomorrow. Follow the hashtag, and help us think about why discussing mental health still makes us uncomfortable.