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It's ok to...
As part of our work on Mental Health Awareness Week we will be running a two week campaign highlighting suicide and the barriers people may face in accessing support.
Suicide is the biggest cause of death in the under 49s, with 18 people a day in the UK taking their own lives.
The statistics are shocking - with such high numbers of young people reaching crisis and taking their own lives. This is even more prevalent with men - who make up 75% of these rates.
We want to help change that.
Working with our learners we want to raise awareness of mental health challenges and highlight the support that is available, encouraging people to reach out for help.
As a specialist education provider supporting young people with mental health and additional needs, promoting these issues is very important to us.
Here at Inclusion we are working with learners to fight the stigma around mental health and explore the barriers we might face in asking for help - particularly for young men.
We know that one of the contributing factors to this includes perceived notions of (toxic) masculinity and gender stereotypes which suggests that men do not talk about their emotions. Ideas of being strong and not showing weakness, not talking about feelings or emotions, language and phrases still commonly used such as ‘man up,’ softy’ and ‘ real men don’t cry’, continue to support these notions, all of which remain difficult barriers to overcome . Other factors could include access to information and methods of accessing support (ie talking therapies, over the phone which may be a barrier to some).
Our Learners will be creating their own 'It' s ok to...' statements to share on social media and our website to help challenge these thoughts that can sometimes leave people feeling isolated and alone. Ideas such as:
It's to cry
It's ok to need help
It's ok to feel alone
It's ok to talk
It's ok to get it wrong
All of which are designed to highlight how we all need support sometimes and that's ok
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