Mental Health Awareness Week 13 - 19 May 2024

Every year, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem and over 2 million people are waiting for NHS mental health services, and since 2017 the number of young people struggling with their mental health has nearly doubled. This year, Mind are launching #NoMindLeftBehind to continue to raise awareness and vital funds for a future where everyone can get quality mental health care when they need it (Mental Health Awareness Week 2024 - Mind).

Mental Health Awareness Week highlights the importance of mental health and breaking down the stigma associated with mental health issues. Celebrated annually, it emphasises that mental health is just as vital as physical health and promotes understanding and support for those struggling with mental health issues. Mental Health Awareness week is marked by various activities and events aimed at educating the public about mental health conditions, sharing resources for support, and advocating for policies that support mental health care. These activities range from workshops, seminars, and social media campaigns to public demonstrations and fundraising events for mental health services and research.

The theme, as set by the Mental Health Foundation, is “Movement: moving for our mental health.” Exercise has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression, and it can help us to prevent physical illnesses. Sadly, people living with mental illness die on average 20 years younger than the general population, often from avoidable physical illness. This group is more likely to develop preventable conditions like diabetes, heart disease, bowel cancer and breast cancer. Our own research shows that 56% of people found that exercising regularly helped them to alleviate stress and prevent burnout in their lives.

One of the key goals of Mental Health Awareness Week is to change public perception, encouraging a more compassionate and supportive approach towards those experiencing mental health issues. By doing so, the campaign hopes to empower individuals to seek help without fear of judgment or discrimination and highlight the fact that mental well-being is a collective responsibility, urging society to foster an environment where mental health is openly discussed, and resources are accessible to everyone.

Mental Health Awareness Week is an important opportunity for everyone at work to think about how they consider mental health in their working environment. Maintaining wellbeing in the workplace is mutually beneficial to people, organisations, wider communities, and the economy overall. According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (CIPD), “Promoting wellbeing can help prevent stress and create positive working environments where individuals and organisations can thrive. Good health and wellbeing can be a core enabler of employee engagement and organisational performance.” Employee wellbeing cannot be an add-on activity, it should be embedded in organisational culture, leadership and people management (Wellbeing at Work | Factsheets | CIPD).

Supporting Mental Health Awareness Week in the workplace

• Deliver Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training to provide a pool of people trained in understanding mental health who can offer support or signposting.
• Set up a network of mental health or well-being champions to raise awareness of well-being issues and help to effect cultural change throughout the organisation.
• Book a mental health speaker for Mental Health Awareness Week – for inspiration peruse the profiles of these mental health speakers at Mental Health & Wellbeing Speakers For Hire | Official Experts (champions-speakers.co.uk).

• Organise a Wear it Green Day on Thursday 16th May 2024 during this important week and help raise funds and awareness for mental health whether its through holding a quiz at work or baking some treats with a cuppa.
• Donate to the Mental Health Foundation to help develop better ways to support good mental health in every community.
• Sign up and Register for free for 31 Mile Challenge in May as a great way to fundraise – you can walk, run, cycle, or skip your chosen route. Share your #MomentsForMovement on social media.

• Raise awareness and share on LinkedIn: @mental-health-foundation.

Whether through educating oneself and others, offering a listening ear, or advocating for mental health support in workplaces and society, everyone has a part to play in destigmatising mental health issues and supporting mental wellbeing.

How can Thewlis Graham Associates help?

We are known for delivering outstanding service and showing a dedicated commitment to both client and candidate satisfaction. We offer advice and guidance on job design and how to structure roles as well as working hours to enable you to recruit the best available candidates. We have a flexible approach for attracting, assessing and selecting candidates and are proud to support both clients and candidates as part of our service and commitment.

Lizzy Turek

Client Research Associate