Carers centres celebrate World Mental Health Day 2008

The Princess Royal Trust for Carers is giving its full support to World Mental Health Day as carers centres across the country hold events to mark the day.

World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time in 1992 and has since been celebrated around the world on October 10th.

The day is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health issues.

The theme for this year’s events is advocacy in mental health, and improving services so all people have access to information, personalised treatment, and resources to assist them in all aspects of their recovery.

The Trust is calling on mental health services to do more to involve and support carers and other family members.

A number of carers centres from The Trust’s network will be holding events highlighting the issues for mental health carers in their local areas.

Barnet Carers Centre is holding its 8th Annual Mental Health Carers Conference, looking at issues as diverse as advocacy, recovery, and future planning with the Mental Capacity Act.

Elsewhere, Wandsworth Carers Centre is holding a workshop for staff, carers and service users to address confidentiality and information-sharing in mental health, and improving working procedures around these common issues.

The Trust’s mental health lead Drew Lindon said: “Advocacy is as relevant to carers as to mental health service users.

“Carers routinely take on advocacy roles for service users in dealing with health professionals, banks and housing services, and may often benefit from support and advocacy for their own needs.”

To find out about more about World Mental Health Day visit the World Federation for Mental Health website.