Published on: 3rd February 2016
One in four people are affected by mental health problems every year, but many are still afraid to talk about their experiences because they fear it will affect their jobs or relationships.
In the 21st century that's just not right, so staff and patients at Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (LPFT) are joining together this week to help break the silence and end the cycle of discrimination.
Time to Talk Day takes place on 4 February, a national awareness day which aims to get as many people as possible across the UK talking about mental health.
By joining together for one day, staff, patients, service users and carers can work to further banish the stigma that often surrounds mental health issues and show that talking about this once taboo subject, doesn't need to be difficult.
Lots of activities are taking place around the Trust this week, from afternoon tea and a mental health-themed quiz at the Trust's older adult Rochford Unit in Boston - to informal coffee breaks with patients on Charlesworth Ward, the female acute inpatient ward at the Peter Hodgkinson Centre in Lincoln, on how to instigate discussions with friends and family - and you can take part too.
You can download some Time to Talk Day resources by visiting the website, to kick-start your own discussions and get the ball rolling.
Lead Governor for LPFT, Diana Broughton, said that taking part in Time to Talk Day is a great way to get everybody talking about mental health.
We have come a long way, but there is still often stigma attached to mental health problems, and taking part in awareness days like this is another step in the right direction. It can be as simple as a cup of tea and chat about how you’re feeling with friends and family – or being there to listen to a service user about how their treatment is progressing. Anything we can do to get more people talking about mental health problems can only help us in our battle against discrimination.
