World Mental Health Day 2020: Theme, history and importance of this day

Mental health has been a health concern for many during the lockdown. Due to work from home culture and isolation to prevent spread of the coronavirus, there was a rise in mental health issues. In order to bring more awareness to mental illnesses and the impact of mental health on our overall lifestyle, World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on October 10^th, an initiative by World Federation for Mental Health.

World Mental Health Day 2020

Theme

According to World Health Organization (WHO), the theme for World Mental Health Day 2020 is increased investment in mental health. Many experienced social isolation, burnout and stress due to work from home, and mental health issues among healthcare workers who have been on the battlefront in the global fight against the coronavirus. During such a time, it is important to provide emotional and social support to those undergoing mental health issues. The theme of this year aims to promote more awareness and time into caring for oneself and the importance of mental health in one’s life.

History

The first ever celebration of World Mental Health day occurred on October 10, 1992. It initially started off as a day dedicated to spreading awareness on mental health and well being. The first theme for the day was introduced in 1994 which focused on “Improving the Quality of Mental Health Services throughout the World”. WHO is a great promoter of this particular day and spreads awareness through connections to health ministries and organizations around the world. Their statistics report that over 1 billion people today are living with a mental illness and every 40 seconds, a death by suicide occurs. These alarming statistics, despite how much technology has progressed, show the hurdles that World Mental Health Day aims to overcome and provide affordable and necessary mental healthcare to all.

In its first of a kind, World Health Organization is organizing a global online advocacy event that will solely focus on the topic of mental health. From sportspersons to musicians, many eminent personalities will be joining the Director-General of WHO to talk about their battles with mental health and what can one do to improve. This annual event aims to diminish the stigma of mental health completely that is still present in today’s society.

Also read: The top 4 factors that have an impact on your mental health