Today on the 25th World Mental Health Day, Local London Assembly Member Len Duvall AM, is calling on businesses to put mental health on their agenda. The theme of this year’s awareness event, set by the World Federation for Mental Health, is workplace wellbeing. Mr Duvall urged employers to take action to “tackle the culture of silence that all too often surrounds mental illness.”
To mark World Mental Health Day, the mental health campaign charity, Time to Change, is asking organisations to take extra steps to ensure employees experiencing mental illness are properly supported. Mr Duvall said with local people spending a significant amount of their time in the workplace “it’s a good place to start when it comes to talking about our mental wellbeing.”
Earlier this year the Mayor of London launched his Thrive LDN campaign, a city-wide initiative designed to improve mental health by supporting Londoners, and especially young Londoners, to lead healthier, happier lives. Bringing together experts from public and private organisations, , the campaign aims to eradicate mental health stigma and discrimination and to make London a zero-suicide city.
Local London Assembly Member, Len Duvall AM, said:
“Although there have been positive strides forward in recent years, there is still a long way to go in the fight for equality between mental health and physical health.
“With a significant proportion of our lives spent in the workplace it is a good place to start when it comes to talking about our mental wellbeing.
“I hope local employers will seize the opportunity World Mental Health Day provides to tackle the culture of silence that all too often still surrounds mental illness.”
Notes to editors
- For more information about World Mental Health Day, please visit the Time to Change website.
- For more information about the Mayor’s mental health campaign, please visit the Thrive LDN website.
- Len Duvall is the London Assembly Member for Greenwich & Lewisham