Mental health issues inspire walking mile
Hairmyres backing
Hairmyres Hospital staff and patients have shown they can walk the walk when it comes to mental health.
The Walk a Mile event last week was arranged by Stigma Free Lanarkshire to bring together doctors, nurses, patients and anyone in the hospital to help tackle mental health discrimination and make it a common topic for people to talk about.
The walking campaign was created by anti-stigma programme See Me in association with mental health activist Chris Young in a bid to change attitudes one conversation at a time.
So far, thousands of people have taken part in treks all across Scotland.
See Me director Calum Irving revealed the aim of the event was to show that mental health can be a topic of every-day conversations.
He said: “We are all responsible for creating positive attitudes around it.
“It was part of a week of events arranged by the group to help tackle discrimination.
“Mental health affects all of us, but there is still a stigma around it.
“To tackle this properly people need to understand that it is okay not to be okay.”
Susan McMorrin, senior health promotion officer with NHS Lanarkshire, was happy to back the ongoing campaign – and pleased to see the East Kilbride hopsital unite behind the cause.
“We are delighted to have had the opportunity to host a Walk a Mile Event at Hairmyres Hospital and be part of Scotland’s biggest ever anti-stigma conversation,” she added.
“Our aim is to bring together professionals, carers and people with lived experience for a friendly conversation as they stroll round Hairmyres Hospital.”
For more on the walks, visit www.seemescotland.org