Getting together to tackle mental health

People and organisations from all over Lanarkshire have come together to tackle mental health discrimination.

Lanarkshire Recovery Network’s successful antistigma partnership already includes almost 500 pledges of support from community groups, churches, NHS Lanarkshire, North and South Lanarkshire councils, North and South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnerships, local businesses and national anti-stigma organisation, See Me. Throughout this week, there is a renewed focus on tackling mental health stigma and discrimination in health and social care settings, to give staff an increased awareness and understanding and to make sure the treatment of people with mental health problems is as good as it can be.

The new distress brief intervention programme, which looks to make sure that people in crisis get the right support immediately, will be among the initiatives highlighted.

To finish off the week, on Friday staff and patients at Hairmyres Hospital will be joined by other health and social care providers and service users in Lanarkshire for a Walk a Mile event.

So far thousands of people have taken part in walks across Scotland, bringing together health professionals, carers, people with lived experience of mental health problems, students, or anyone who cares about tackling mental health discrimination, to break down barriers as they walk a mile in each other’s shoes.