Friday 10th October (today) is World Mental Health Day, and with rising mental health issues nationally more and more charities are working together to raise awareness. This year Barking and Dagenham are holding a ?Time for World Mental Health Day' event at Barking Learning Centre. The event will be a chance for local people to find out about the services on offer for people with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.
Recent national research from the Citizens Advice Bureau has highlighted a link between increasing mental health issues and worsening living standards, cuts in benefits, personal debt and employment problems. Debt was the highest cause with benefits coming second as being most likely to damage people's mental health.
Barking and Dagenham Council recently commissioned a digital mental health and wellbeing service called Big White Wall, the service has been designated a High Impact Innovation by the National Health Service.
Jon Cruddas MP for Dagenham and Rainham, who is a supporter of Time to Change commented: "World Mental Health Day is an important acknowledgement of people suffering from mental health issues across the country. To mark the occasion this year the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham will be holding a series of events. With an average of 1 in 4 people struggling with mental health issues it is time to start talking, and breaking down the stigma and discrimination that surrounds mental health conditions. Big White Wall is an innovative way to tackle the issues that have become increasingly more prominent in the local area over the past few years."
You can sign up to The Big White Wall here: www.bigwhitewall.com it is completely anonymous and signs you up based on your postcode asking only for you to create a user name.