isolation

One- in- five people will experience mental illness this year. It’s an astounding statistic but one that for too long has not made headlines. Mental illness is more common than you think and it touches people of all ages and from all walks of life. However it’s a subject that is too often hidden or stigmatised due to shame or embarrassment. As a result, many thousands of people are left feeling isolated and alone. This is what the Mental Health Council of Australia will address in its national campaign for World Mental Health Day 2012.

The Hon. Mark Butler MP , Minister for Mental Health joined fellow parliamentarians and mental health sector advocates and stakeholders at a breakfast to officially launch World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2012. One-in-five people will experience mental illness this year. It’s an astounding statistic but one that for too long has not made headlines. “We want people to know that whoever they are and wherever they live, they’re not alone”, says Frank Quinlan, CEO of the Mental Health Council of Australia.

In this Issue: World Mental Health Day Forum, 8 October 2009; The World Mental Health Day Forum; Beacon Site Launched at Parliament House; Launch of Adversity to Advocacy; NMHCCF Launches ‘Seclusion and Restraint’ Statement at TheMHS; Isolation and Disconnection – The Mental Illness Experience; Mental Health Care Needs More than Just Tinkering; New MHCA Associate Member Organisations