FORUM: “It’s time to prioritize mental health in the workplace.“ World Mental Health Day 2024. Voices of the workplace is an initiative that aspires to provide a platform to unite diverse communities worldwide through lived experiences, solution-focused plans, action-oriented ideas, and impactful narratives. This year, under the World Mental Health Day 2024 theme ‘Its Time to prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace’, we aim to highlight the importance of mental mental health. Share your stories, solutions, and actionable ideas on how workplaces can better support mental well-being. The campaign is dedicated to advocating for mental health within the workplace. Our objective is to engage a global audience—including employees, employers, organizations, and stakeholders—in grassroots advocacy to promote mental well-being at work. We aim to highlight the essential role of mental health in professional environments, advocating for workplaces where mental health is prioritized, protected, and promoted. The 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. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #WMHD, #10October, #MentalHealth, #WorldMentalHealthDay.
EVENTS: On October 10th, a webinar will be organized to mark the World Mental Health Day 2024 to promote awareness of Mental Health in people all over the world. We invite all stakeholders to join the movement towards global mental health awareness and change. Have a glance at the different events and initiatives being conducted by stakeholders across the world that are featured under the ambit of the Global WMHD Campaign 2024. Our world is filled with different challenges and one person, one organisation cannot tackle them alone. Let’s embrace the power of collaborative action to help raise global mental health awareness. Explore the Worldwide events!
EXHIBITS: Embrace the power of expression through our Voices of the Workplace and Express through Arts initiatives, as we endeavor to illuminate a plethora of narratives and experiences. Lean more about the exhibits!
Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, their well-being, how they connect with others, and their livelihoods. Mental health conditions are also affecting 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 to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. 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. The 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. Follow the conversations with the hashtags #WMHD, #MakeMentalhealth4allAGlobalPriority, #10October, #MentalHealth, #Makewellbeing4allAGlobalPriority, #WorldMentalHealthDay; #MHUHR, #MHUniversalHR, #UHR4MH.
As we mark the WFMH 75th Anniversary coinciding with World Mental Health Day 2023, the World Federation for Mental Health is proud to unveil a special bulletin!
It gives me great pleasure to celebrate with you the Diamond Jubilee of the WFMH. It has been seventy-five years since its first meeting in London in 1948. This organisation has carried the flag of mental health advocacy on a global level. The letter from King George in 1948 to the Federation highlighted our mission of advocacy and support for mental health in our community, it went beyond the needs of the mentally ill and suggested the Federation would help world citizens live together in peace and a good neighbourliness.
Seventy-five years later, I look back at our achievements and shortcomings. Having inherited from my grandfather the details of that conference, I was able to observe with pride the energy towards a multi-disciplinary approach to mental health care.
The world has evolved over the years adopting the biological model for treatment of mental health problems, but it quickly became clear that without advocacy and anti-stigma efforts, access to care services becomes challenging. The work of the Federation has continued to grow choosing the theme for Mental Health Day since 1993, supporting the needs of immigrants and refugees in the crisis areas and advocating for women in mental health are some of the highlights of our work. We have been able to maintain the voice of people with lived experience of mental disorder in policy and regulation planning. Families and carers have worked actively with the Federation since its inception.
On the academic level, the Federation has organised and participated in over 100 scientific conferences. The current group headed by our president elect is actively working on producing a journal for the Federation, a step we all look forward to. Looking at the coming seventy-five years, the Federation stands on solid grounds of governance and transparency, the work of the secretariat in setting standards for management and procedural activities was essential in maintaining our good relations with the UN and other international agencies.
So congratulations dear friends on this milestone. I send you my best wishes for many more years of success and achievements for WFMH.
Yours sincerely,
Nasser Loza
President WFMH
President Egyptian Society for the Rights of People with mental illness
On 10 October 2023 we will be celebrating World Mental Health Day with the theme ‘Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’ chosen by a global vote open to the public, including World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) members, stakeholders, and supporters.
This year’s World Mental Health Day celebration coincides with the 75th Anniversary of the foundation of the WFMH in 1948. At its foundation a range of recommendations were made, including that specialised agencies of the United Nations (UN) should do everything possible to co-ordinate their activities in the interest of developing adequate mental health programmes within each member nation; and that the World Health Organization (WHO) give adequate attention to mental health principles in their health programmes, drawing on international professional organisations for co-operation.
1948 was an important year for human rights because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted on 10 December 1948 by the UN General Assembly with Article 1 thereof stating: ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’
Although the UDHR did not specifically mention mental health, and neither was it a treaty, by 1966, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) was adopted, Article 12 whereof stated: ‘The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.’
The United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was adopted in 2007 with the vision ‘to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2023 – Mental Health is a Universal Human Right. 4 rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity’ and included people with long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments.
Despite all efforts by the UN, WHO, WFMH, governments, institutions and other agencies, mental health discrimination, harmful stereotypes and stigma in the community, family, schools and the workplace still persist. The same prevents healthy relationships, social interactions and inclusive environments needed for the well-being of all members of society and presents barriers to the enjoyment of full well-being for all, especially those with mental health challenges.
Previous reports by the UN Human Rights office highlight that people with mental health conditions and those with psychosocial disabilities experience disproportionately higher rates of poor physical health and reduced life expectancy. Stigma is also a significant determinant of quality care and access to the full range of services required.
Investment and transformation in mental health is needed to help stop the widespread human rights violations that people with mental health conditions continue to experience worldwide.
This year’s theme enables us to re-double our efforts to ensure that everybody should receive quality mental health care and that the human rights and well-being of people with mental illness are respected in all parts of the world so that every person with a mental health difficulty has:The right to be protected from known harms to mental health; a universal right which applies to the entire population, but especially the vulnerable including children, minorities and the displaced peoples. The right to access quality and affordable care when a person is struggling with their mental health. The right to freedom and dignity, including the right of choice. The 2023 World Mental Health Day theme ‘Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’ provides us with an opportunity to re-kindle our efforts to make the world a better place.
We invite you to join this year’s World Mental Health Day campaign.
Professor Gabriel Ivbijaro MBE JP
WFMH Secretary-General
Visiting Professor Population Mental Health NOVA University Lisbon Portugal Honorary Visiting Fellow Bradford University School of Management UK Past President WFMH President & Founder The World Dignity Project.
Statement from the Founder of the Fahim Foundation for Mental Health Support. Member of the WFMH, Nabila Makram AbdelShahid, on World Mental Health Day 2023; October 10th.
“I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within” Rumi
“In a disordered mind, as in a disordered body, soundness of health is impossible” Cicero
Social media exposure, digitalization of many aspects of life, natural disasters and political crises, economic burden and unemployability, spread of infection and disease, collapse of social norms, all this is causing distress on our soul and mind. As a result, we see violence, addiction, suicide, and depression more common in our societies.
Therefore, we need to emphasize that the right to mental health is a subject of ever-increasing importance. In September 2017, the Human Rights Council Resolution recognized the importance of integrating mental health services into primary and general health care.
However, it is a joint responsibility to act against stigmatizing psychiatric patients and mental health service providers, to raise awareness on the importance of mental health, to understand the needs and demands of psychiatric patients and their caregivers, to direct funding and resources to support and drive a paradigm shift in the field of mental health.
Only if we join forces, cooperate and exchange knowledge and expertise, only if we complement each other and bridge gaps and face challenges, we can build an inclusive society that integrates psychiatric patients socially, that is able to acknowledge mental illness, where mentally ill receive appropriate treatment at the right time without fear or shame.
Nabila Makram Abdel Shahid, Founder of the Fahim Foundation for Mental Health Support.
Dear Dr. Nasser Loza, President of the World Federation for Mental Health, and Prof. Gabriel Ivbijaro, Secretary-General of WFMH, On behalf of the World Organization of Family Doctors, I extend our heartfelt congratulations to the World Federation for Mental Health on the momentous occasion of your 75th anniversary. WFMH’s dedication to mental health advocacy, policy formulation, and community engagement is an inspiration to us all. The breadth of your partnerships and the scope of your projects has touched lives across the globe. We are incredibly proud and grateful for our partnership with WFMH. Your commitment to dignity, rights, and equity in mental health aligns seamlessly with our own mission to improve the quality of life for families globally. As you celebrate this significant milestone, we look forward to strengthening our collaboration with WFMH in the years to come. Together, we can continue to make strides in mental health care and advocacy, ensuring a healthier and more equitable world for all. Once again, congratulations on 75 remarkable years! Sincerely.
Dr Anna Stavdal, WONCA President.
CAMPAIGN: ‘Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’.
As we mark 75 years of mental health advocacy, we at the World Federation for Mental Health bring to you one of our largest endeavours – The WFMH Global Campaign 2023, the WFMH 75th Anniversary and the World Mental Health Day 2023. The Global Campaign and its initiatives would be based on this year’s official theme of World Mental Health Day – ‘Mental Health is a Universal Human Right’. Mental health as a universal right to all citizens of the world is consistent with the 1948 founding principles of WFMH. The global campaign aims to place mental health in a human rights framework to re-cast the aspiration for sound mental health as a fundamental human right. The global campaign aims to engage individuals, communities, institutions, and stakeholders worldwide, with the objective of empowering grassroot advocacy for the cause of mental health and its intersection with human rights. While featuring theme-based global events and embracing diverse creative expressions through digital means, the campaign intends to promote awareness and put-forth the significance of mental health.
Join us in this journey as we unite to raise awareness about the importance of mental health as an indispensable universal human right, with the vision of fostering a world that values and nurtures the well-being of all.
Join the Global Volunteers Team of World Federation for Mental Health and be a part of the Organizing Team of WFMH Global Campaign 2023. Help in increasing the campaign’s digital and on-ground outreach, along with encouraging participation in global activities.
Journéemondiale de la santémentale, le 10octobre. World Mental Health Day, 10 October. 世界精神衛生日,10月10日. DíaMundial de la SaludMental, 10 de octubre. Всемирный день психического здоровья, 10 октября.
اليوم العالمي للصحةالعقلية، 10 أكتوبر
Dignity in Mental health
Thème2015:Dignitédans la santémentale. 2015年主題：尊嚴的心理健康
Theme 2015 : Dignity in Mental health. Tema de2015:Dignidaddela saludmental. Тема2015:Достоинствов области психического здоровья. موضوععام 2015:الكرامة فيالصحة العقلية.
This year the World Federation for Mental Health has chosen “Dignity in Mental Health” as the theme for World Mental Health Day on 10 October. “Dignity” is a word that has a number of meanings, none of them precise—but we all recognize dignity when we see it, and more importantly, we recognize the lack of it when it’s absent. With this year’s theme we aim to show the ways in which dignity can be provided in all aspects of mental health, ranging from care for our patients/consumers to the attitudes of the general public. We hope you will support the theme with activities in your own region that educate people about the importance of dignity in mental health. All too often people with mental disorders and their families find dignity absent in their dealings with health care provid - ers and with society at large. They feel demeaned by the manner in which they are treated. Health professionals don’t have the time needed to address difficult problems. Budget problems at the national level impact health and social care budgets at the local level, making coordinated care difficult to achieve. People with mental disorders frequently do not get coordinated care for other illnesses that may be present, resulting in neglect of their overall health—and ultimately, shortened lifespans. Having said the above I should also underline that a somewhat broader conception of dignity should include reciprocal respect between providers and recipients of care. Synthesis and collaboration is certainly preferable to antithesis and con - frontation. We must all realize that the enemy is the illness, not the professionals. This year’s World Mental Health Day material looks at dignity in mental health from several directions. In terms of mental disorders, we think about dignity in treatment and care, and consumers of mental health services can provide valuable insight about that. Person-centered care is of major importance. We’ve included material about educating the public on mental and behavioral disorders to encourage a better understand - ing of these disorders. Approaching public education at an earlier point is an important part of this year’s material. Mental health promotion is part of the foundation for spreading a message about dignity in mental health. An appreciation that good mental health is a valuable asset should encourage people to think about mental health more broadly and also think about ways to support it and thus also serve prevention by reducing the risk of mental illness. For example, starting early to teach young children and teenagers about social and emotional learning strategies lays a foundation for enlightened future approaches. Incorporating dignity into an approach to mental health issues is fundamental to dealing with stigma and discrimination. There is nothing dignified about subjecting people with any illness to stigma, adding to the problems they already cope with through the illness itself. We need to work harder towards changing social attitudes and spreading public awareness of the nature of mental illness. As we seek to change outlooks, the importance of recovery is a central part of the message. Dignity is inherent in recovery. Care should encompass not just the present stage of the illness but the prospect that, over time, improvement can be achieved and that recovery, both in its medical sense and in its broader psychosocial connotation is a realistic and certainly dignified perspective. Prof. George
Christodoulou President, World Federation for Mental Health
Our theme for World Mental Health Day this year is “Dignity in Mental Health,” a topic that is fundamental to the provision of good mental health care. The World Federation selected the theme knowing that it is hard to define “dignity” precisely. Yet respect for dignity represents an essential component of care and can produce major improvements in attitude to - wards people who are experiencing a multitude of problems. The World Federation for Mental Health’s goal when it established World Mental Health Day in 1992 was public education at all levels of society. The Day, celebrated internationally on October 10, has more than fulfilled this aim. It provides an occasion for many regional and local efforts to put the spotlight on a selected aspect of mental health care--with the added bonus of participating in a broadly celebrated international event. “Dignity in Mental Health” provides the kind of topic that is relevant everywhere, and can be defined according to local cir - cumstances and needs. We have collected a group of papers from our expert authors who show that dignity in the mental health context can have many meanings and can be applied to every aspect of care. Further, a concern for dignity counters the discrimination and bias that are all too often encountered by people with mental illness. Two of the articles in this year’s material point to the wider applications of a “dignity” viewpoint. An article from Norway about mental health promotion in schools shows the value of starting education about feelings and behavior at an early age. A paper about refugees in California suggests that the perspective of a refugee about mental health has many layers, and recognizing the impact of a refugee’s desperate experiences may confer true dignity. As before, the campaign will encourage local organizers to use traditional media to expand local coverage through radio, television, newspapers and magazines. We have had a presence on social media for a while, but we hope to be more active on Facebook and Twitter during the “dignity” campaign to extend its outreach to a new group of younger people. Many thanks for all your efforts to promote mental health awareness in your communities through World Mental Health Day events. Whether large or small, your events contribute to growing public awareness of mental disorders and the need to provide appropriate support for those who experience them, and their families.
Dr. Patt Franciosi Chair, World Federation for Mental Health
The WHO QualityRights tool kit provides countries with practical
information and tools for assessing and improving quality and human
rights standards in mental health and social care facilities. The
Toolkit is based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. It provides practical guidance on:
° the human rights and quality standards
that should be respected, protected and fulfilled in both inpatient and
outpatient mental health and social care facilities; ° preparing for and conducting a comprehensive assessment of facilities; and ° reporting findings and making appropriate recommendations on the basis of the assessment.
The tool kit is designed for use in low-, middle- and high-income
countries. It can be used by many different stakeholders, including
dedicated assessment committees, nongovernmental organizations, national
human rights institutions, national health or mental health
commissions, health service accreditation bodies and national mechanisms
established under international treaties to monitor implementation of
human rights standards and others with an interest in promoting the
rights of people with disabilities.
The WHO QualityRights tool
kit is an essential resource, not only for putting an end to past
neglect and abuses but also for ensuring highquality services in the
future.
Thousands of people with mental health conditions around the
world are deprived of their human rights. They are not only
discriminated against, stigmatised and marginalised but are also subject
to emotional and physical abuse in both mental health facilities and
the community. Poor quality care due to a lack of qualified health
professionals and dilapidated facilities leads to further violations.
The theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day, observed on
10 October, is "Dignity in mental health". This year, WHO will be
raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental
health conditions can continue to live with dignity, through human
rights oriented policy and law, training of health professionals,
respect for informed consent to treatment, inclusion in decision-making
processes, and public information campaigns.
WMHDay was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992 and continues
to be the official day of commemoration every year. It was started as
an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then
Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter and It has become the largest
and most widely promoted education and advocacy program of the WFMH.
The World Federation of
Mental Health (WFMH) has been organizing World Mental Health Day events
on 10th October since 1992 with special themes for each year. This
year’s theme is Dignity in Mental Health.
The Association for
Community Mental Health Promotion (ACMHP) from Turkey, in consultation
with experts from leading international mental health organizations, has
planned an event to support World Mental Health Day through its own
“Campaign against stigmatization in mental disorders.”
Medical students around
the world will – and may already – be working with individuals living
with mental illness. We invite you to provide your own theme or slogan
to accompany the WFMH and ACMHP in Turkey.
Prof Bulent Coskun
President of The Association for Community Mental Health Promotion
(Turkey)
