World Mental Health Awareness Week is coming (12th-18th May 2025). And we’ll all be wearing blue, and looking for Insta opportunities to show our support. Because mental health is undoubtedly, and undeniably very important.
But World Mental Health Awareness Week leaves me luke warm, at best. And I make no secret of this. While I’m genuinely passionate about protecting and promoting psychological wellbeing, I’m not at all enthused about the constant raising of awareness. I feel we’ve been saturated to bursting point by awareness. And what we need now is the infrastructure so people can get the help they need, quickly.
This may sound churlish, and certainly it’s going against the grain, but here’s what I hate most about World Mental Health Awareness Week.
Awareness isn’t what we need – it’s better funding
If you’re suffering from low mood you’ll likely be encouraged to see your GP and seek low-cost counselling in your area. For most people going private isn’t a possibility. But honesty, you’ll probably have to wait at least six months to clear the waiting list and see a counsellor. To me that feels unethical. For someone to present in distress and be told they will receive help…but not for another 6 to 8 months, can feel excrutiating. In the interim there are anti-depressants, and online CBT. Both available to lighten your load. But the actual one-to-one help most often isn’t available at the time of need.
The only way round this, is to increase funding for mental health. So contact your local MP and ask for more resources. Adequate funding for mental health is essential. No amount of awareness raising, and well meaning social media posting will change that. Only cold, hard cash properly allocated will.
It’s a cynical marketing opportunity exploited by companies
Before I became a counsellor, I worked in marketing for many years. And now, often, on social media I see companies I’ve worked for, and know to be heinous in every way, promote their ‘strong mental health stance.’ It’s no exaggeration to say, it makes me want to rip my skin off in uncontrollable rage. It’s hypocritical, and misleading.
A gaming corner, bigger break-out rooms or even a trendy breakfast bar aren’t what we need for better work wellbeing. It’s greater pay parity, secure contracts, flexible working hours and access to mental health help. It’s also freedom from sexual harassment and HR teams that know what they’re doing. Once these are in place, the research shows your team’s mental health will prosper. But they’re costly, time intensive and labour heavy. Plus a photo of the company’s policy team, plodding their way through research and contract is never going to go viral.
Mental Health Awareness is a comfortable place to stay
There is so much going on that’s tragic. Wars, a convicted sex offender in presidential office, a cost of living crisis…It’s hard to feel positive and hopeful for the future.
Sometimes campaigning for better mental health awareness, is a comfortable place to stay and distracts us from less comfortable issues. Those topics where beliefs are divisive, make a big difference to mental health.
For example, abortion rights, better parental leave, women’s rights. All these contribute to an unstable and unequal world. Becoming aware of systemic inequalities, considering corrective policy and then enshrining them in law, will undoubtedly lead to better mental health for all.