Today, My Mind News marks World Mental Health Day, which aims to increase awareness of mental health issues worldwide and improve discussion around them.
Today is World Mental Health Day
The World Federation for Mental Health, the founder of World Mental Health Day, presents the WFMH Global Campaign 2023. The Global Campaign aims to recognize the 75th Anniversary of WFMH and World Mental Health Day 2023.
The campaign and its initiatives will be based on this year’s official theme of World Mental Health Day- ‘Mental Health is a Universal Human Right.’
World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme’ Mental health is a universal human right’ to improve knowledge, raise awareness, and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.
Mental health is a fundamental human right for all people. Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence, and inclusion in the community.
Good mental health is vital to our overall health and wellbeing. Yet one in eight people globally live with mental health conditions, impacting their physical health, well-being, connection with others, and livelihoods. Mental health conditions also affect an increasing number of adolescents and young people.
Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or exclude them from decisions about their health. Yet, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations worldwide.
Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights.
WHO continues to work with its partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need.
Key messages of WMHD 2023
Good mental health allows us to cope with challenges, connect with others, and thrive. It’s vital and deserves to be recognized and respected.
2. Mental health is a universal human right.
Human rights are universal and serve to promote and protect people’s right to dignity, autonomy, and community inclusion.
Because mental health is a universal human right, we all have the right to access quality treatment that meets our needs and respects our rights across our lifetimes.
Mental health conditions affect one in seven adolescents globally, with depression emerging as a leading cause of adolescent illness and disability.
We all have the right to live our lives free from stigma and discrimination in places like schools and workplaces.
People must have access to good mental health services, education, income generation, housing opportunities, and social support to live independently and be included in their communities.
Mental health and wellbeing are fundamental to enjoying a good and meaningful life, and ensuring that everyone can access community mental health services and support is vital. In particular, access to mental health support and resources in early life can make a real difference to young people’s and adults’ health and wellbeing in later life. This should be promoted as a priority in all countries.
If people are unaware of their human rights, they cannot advocate for them. By including people with lived experience of mental health conditions in decision-making on mental health issues, new policies, laws, and service planning can be positively influenced and guided by their expertise.
Knowing your mental health rights allows you to stand up for what’s right – for you and others.
Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign (#WorldMentalHealthDay) to learn more about your fundamental right to mental health as well as how to protect the rights of others.
