TUESDAY October 10 is World Mental Health Day and Fife’s Health and Social Care Partnership is working with two of the biggest national mental health organisations to promote the importance of good mental health and to break the barriers and stigma around this sensitive subject.

The plan is to have a series of events this month to tackle stigma connected with mental health issues and people in the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area are invited to join the cause with the former town used last year to launch a major event.

Working with See Me, the national organisation tackling mental health stigma and discrimination and the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) a range of activities are planned, not just on the day itself but over October and beyond.

This build on previous events which has seen the Partnership support the three national See Me campaign strands; Walk a Mile in which 100 Fifers’ participated and Pass the Badge; and The Power of OK.

Julie Paterson, Divisional General Manager (Fife Wide) is lead for the Partnership’s mental health services across Fife, and talks about what’s going on: “The SAMH anti-stigma football tournament, was launched last year in Cowdenbeath and this year it is being hosted by Michael Woods Centre in Glenrothes on Friday.

“There is a range of five a side teams from across the Partnership including Social Work, voluntary sector providers and the Police; so very diverse with the emphasis on fair play and inclusion.   We are delighted that Jim Leishman, Provost of Fife will be supporting the eventalongside Michael Kellet, Director of Fife’s Partnership who will be presenting the trophies on the day. 

"Our anti-stigma theme will continue with a poetry exhibition.   

The poetry is by people with lived experience of mental illness.  We will have three banners in total going on show for the public to read and enjoy.  They will first be shown at the SAMH football tournament, then we are planning to tour them round the public areas of Fife’s hospitals where there will also be information on mental health support and advice that’s available across Fife should people want to find out more.”

This year’s theme for World Mental Health day is ‘mental health in the workplace.  Julie continues: “We all have mental health and the aim is to show that mental health can be a topic of everyday conversations, including in the workplace.

"We will be encouraging staff to take part in See Me’s campaign to ‘Pass the Badge’, where people wear the See Me pin badge for a couple of days then pass to a colleague.  "The purpose is to get the message across that we are all responsible for creating positive attitudes and good mental health and good physical health is vital for all employees so they can stay fit and well as a person.”