8 minutes | Friday, 13 April 2018
Mental health stigma been something of a buzz word at the forefront of media attention over the last few years. However, 1 in 4 people in the UK still experience a mental health problem each year with men identified as the most vulnerable demographic for suicide. Men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women, with suicide being the leading cause of death in men under 45. Men in the UK are less likely than women to open up about mental health issues they may be facing alone.
In a bid to tackle the stigma around mental health issues one of Britain’s largest employers, Ford, is joining forces with Time to Change - the anti-stigma and discrimination campaign run by mental health charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and backed by Comic Relief, the Department for Health and the Big Lottery Fund - to break down the barriers around mental health issues and get more men talking.
The campaign has been designed to encourage people to discuss their mental health more, and show friends, family and colleagues that’s its okay to act if they’re concerned.
We spoke to Time to Change Director Sue Baker OBE and Ford of Britain Chairman, Andy Barratt.