Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Week with music

Palmerston North Hospital celebrates
Mental Health Awareness Week with music

Music will fill the Palmerston North Hospital entrance this week as mental health and wellbeing becomes a focus for MidCentral District Health Board.

The week marks the Mental Health Foundation’s Mental Health Awareness Week 2018, which is themed ‘Let Nature In, Strengthen Your Wellbeing – Mā te taiao, kia whakapakari tōu oranga’ and runs from 8 to 14 October.

To mark the week, the DHB will bring a piano into the main foyer of the Palmerston North Hospital for staff and visitors to play, or sing along to.

MidCentral DHB General Manager People and Culture Keyur Anjaria said mental wellbeing was affected by several factors in and outside of work and at MidCentral DHB we all wanted to work in an environment that was safe, healthy and that supported mental health and wellbeing.

The piano would encourage staff and visitors to connect over the sound of music.

“If you have the skills, please take the opportunity next week to play the piano or sing along in the main foyer. Both members of the community and DHB staff are invited to participate.

“We know there are very talented people within our organisation, some of who do play the piano in the Chapel and others who we know are wonderful singers.”

Anjaria said this year’s theme ‘Let Nature In, Strengthen Your Wellbeing’ was important because research had shown spending time in nature lifted people’s moods.

It also decreases feelings of depression and anxiety, improves concentration, buffers against stress, makes lives meaningful, speeds recovery from tough times and reduces health inequalities related to poverty.

Also during the week, resources and wellbeing stands will be available for both hospital staff and visitors in the hospital, and a mental health clinical nurse specialist and the consumer advisor will be available for staff to chat at set times.

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week, visit mhaw.nz.

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