A mental health awareness campaign #day2day is being launched to ‘destigmatize mental health in the workplace’.
The campaign is planned to run digitally for a month from the 1st of March with videos of people openly talking about their mental issues. It is organised by ‘Why Digital’ in partnership with Bournemouth University and Dorset Mind.
Dan Wills, managing director of Why Digital, said that the purpose of the campaign is to normalise mental health issues and to get people talking about it on a day to day basis.
“I have bipolar. I don’t have bipolar one day and not have it another, I live with it on a day to day basis. The people that are around me, the environment I am in, everyone can see that I have it on the day to day basis”, he said while explaining the reason for the name of campaign.
‘Day2day’ started as part of the hack project ‘Do It Day’ hosted last year, which focused on mental health in workplace.
“In essence, it is obtaining business leaders around Bournemouth and from national brands as well to get people to talk about their mental health experiences openly and how they have dealt with it not only in the work place, but at home with their families and friends”, Dan said.
This is an IMPORTANT project that we’ve been working on alongside @why_digital & @bournemouthuni – we’ve got some excellent footage that will help CHANGE the way #mentalhealth in the #workplace is viewed. 1st March. That’s when IT happens. @MindCharity @DrAndyMayers #Day2Day https://t.co/U5lDIMNHge
— Dorset Mind (@DorsetMind) February 14, 2018
Dr Andrew Mayers, Principal Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University and patron for Dorset Mind said: “Although some employers are relatively supportive, quite a few more need to understand a lot more about what they can do to support their staff.”
“It’s also about having the flexibility, so when somebody needs to take the time off because they have been mentally unwell, it’s the way in which we then gradually phase back to work. Just the same way if someone had a physical problem, you wouldn’t expect them to come back the day after their operation.”
The campaign is going to be officially launched at a breakfast event in Bournemouth International School on the 1st of March.
