‘Time To Change’ mental health campaign receives £20mn funding
The Time To Change initiative, a campaign that aims to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health, has received a £20 million fund boost from the UK’s Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.
The mental health campaign, led by charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, works with schools, employers and local communities to raise awareness and reduce discrimination against mental health issues and illnesses.
It has so far received £30million in funding. More than 800 schools and almost 400 employers have taken part in the campaign.
As a result of the campaign, the proportion of people reporting discrimination as a result of mental health issues has dropped from 42% to 28%, according to the charities.
Recent data from NHS Digital (formerly known as Health and Social Care Information Centre) revealed that young women have the highest risk in England for mental health problems.
UK Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “Tackling the stigma associated with mental health problems is essential if we are to break down barriers and encourage people to seek help before they reach crisis point.
“Time To Change is already making a difference, but with recent studies showing that just 50% of people seek help following a suicide attempt, it’s clear that we still have major work to do.”
Jo Loughran, interim director of Time To Change, said: “Since Time To Change began, we’ve made real progress in transforming public attitudes and empowering thousands of people to tackle discrimination, but we’ve always said that this is the work of a generation and there’s still more work to be done.”