One in four people will have mental health problems at some point in their lives. Yet, 60% of those who suffer from a mental health condition say that the stigma surrounding their condition is as bad as, or worse than, the condition itself. As a society, we are largely silent about mental health, associating it with weakness, unpredictability or danger.
Mind Your Head is designed to get people thinking and talking about mental health and wellbeing. Even in a progressive community like Oxford, mental health is an awkward and poorly-understood subject, but there is no reason that it should be like that. We want to create a more welcoming culture for people who have experienced mental health problems, to spread the word about what ‘mental illness’ really means, and to encourage every student to look after their mental wellbeing.
Look out for more updates and information on the site and the facebook page. If you are interested in the campaign and would like to know more, or you want to get involved, please email the Mind Your Head chairs at mindyourhead@ousu.org .
Hi, I graduated from Oxford with a degree in PPP in 2010. I edit a zine andr run a corresponding blog called Mind Over Matter, with nearly 15,000 followers (http://mindovermatterzine.tumblr.com). Mind if I mention this on there? Thanks, F.
Absolutely, please do.
Hello,
This is such a valuable campaign and the student stories’ section is very powerful and insightful. I’ve recently published a web resource for people affected by mental illness living Oxfordshire (Oxford Mental Health Forum: http://www.oxfordmhf.org.uk); I thought I’d mention it in case it’s of interest. There’s an area for students in the discussion area on the site, and I’ve included a link to the Mind Your Head site on the links and campaign pages.
All the best with the campaign.
Hoping we can help reduce the stigma and continue to increase awareness!
Hi there
I work as a disability adviser at a medical school, and found the student stories very honest and insightful. However, I did want to ask where Sarah L got her stats re medical students (“According to the BMA, 50% of medical students have sought help for mental health issues at some point” and “…62% of [medics] believe that asking for help with depression means we have inadequate coping skills compared to 35% of the general population.”).
I find the first stat difficult to believe, as medical students, in my experience, are if anything less likely to disclose MH problems than others. If true, however, I’d like to know more about this finding if you can give me the source.
Best wishes
Roddy Slorach
What truly influenced you to compose “Mind Your Head Oxford | OUSU’s mental health awareness campaign”? Ireally loved the post! Many thanks ,Demetra