To mark World Mental Health
Day 2012 (Wednesday 10 October), Professor Sue Bailey, the
President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, has been joined by
her counterparts abroad in calling on governments to ensure mental
health is given the prominence it deserves.
The joint statement, signed by the Prof Bailey
and Dr Maria Tomasic, President of The Royal Australian and
New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, and Dr Suzane
Renaud, President of the Canadian Psychiatric Association,
reads:
“On World Mental Health Day, we call on
governments world-wide to give mental health equal billing to
physical health and ensure that health and social care budgets
reflect the prevalence of mental health problems. During a
lifetime, one in four people is likely to experience a mental
health problem, affecting the quality of their lives and
relationships. Mental illness has a profound global impact and
should be treated with equal importance as physical illness. There
is no health without mental health.”
In the UK, the call for parity has been backed
by Kevan Jones MP, who said: “World Mental Health Day allows us an
opportunity to further challenge the stigma attached to mental
illness.
“Great strides have been made in the UK on
this, but it is only through continued pressure from medical
professionals, charities, parliamentarians and others that parity
with physical illness can be achieved here and around the
world.”
The Royal College of Psychiatrists is
undertaking ongoing work into the parity of esteem for mental
health, working with government, other health professionals, the
voluntary sector and the general public to highlight the importance
of mental health and mental health services.
For further information, please
contact:
Liz Leicester
or Deborah Hart in the Communications
Department.
Telephone: 020 7235 2351 Extensions. 6298 or 6127