CDHB supports Mental Health Awareness Week

MEDIA RELEASE DATE: 6 October 2009

CDHB supports Mental Health Awareness Week

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is supporting Mental Health Awareness Week (October 5 - 11) with a range of activities for consumers and staff. Improving and maintaining mental wellbeing is the week’s theme.

The CDHB’s Specialist Mental Health Service has a range of activities to celebrate diversity and wellbeing including odd sock day, barbecues for consumers and staff will attend a mental health and family workshop at Rehua Marae.

Celebrating diversity is also part of the week’s celebrations with a cultural diversity day.

Five simple strategies have been developed to promote wellbeing, which are based on research by United Kingdom-based the Foresight Project Community and Public Health’s activities are themed around these strategies of being active (taking part in regular physical activity that you enjoy and suits your ability); connect (developing relationships with others); give (doing something for a friend or stranger; learn (trying something new or discovering an old interest) and take notice (being aware of the world around you).

Dancing, swimming, a craft and hobbies day and fresh pasta making are included in the activities.

One in five New Zealanders are expected to have some sort of mental illness during a lifetime it is important for everyone to be aware of their wellbeing and look at ways of improving their own and others.

“These are just some of the things people can do to improve and maintain their sense of mental wellbeing,” says Phil Brinded, Chief of Psychiatry for the Canterbury District Health Board.

“If people are feeling bad for a long period of time and this is interfering with important parts of their life, such as work or close relationships, their first port of call should be their General Practitioner.”
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