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Awareness raising campaign "Talk about yourself, talk to us!"
Association Skalbes has organized various activities dedicated to World’s Mental Health Day 10th of October for raising the awareness of mental health problems and people needs regarding these problems in Latvia.
From 1st till 7th October Association Skalbes organized the awareness raising campaign “Talk about yourself, talk to us!” People were asked to call Crisis hot-line and to share their feelings and thoughts about their personal experience of loneness, stress and tension and ways to overcome it, and their ideas of what could be done to lessen the tension in society and to maintain it mentally healthy.
This year’s prognosis is that suicide rate will be higher that the previous years because of economical situation, the tension, depression and aggression it creates – these emotional reactions are natural to unnatural environment, but we need to see despair what exists behind and we need to give support. But we acknowledge our anxiety that not regarding the growing tension in society the government doesn’t have a plant how to support these people whose mental health is worsening.
That’s why we added to our slogan of the campaign also:”It is important how you do feel!”
People who called referred that they often felt lonely and castaway, and we see the risk that without possibility to get emotional support at the right moment they use too much of sedatives what could create addiction. State mental health program provides only consultation of psychiatrist and pharmaceutical help, but none of psychological service. The City Council of Riga is supporting the Crisis Hot-line also next year round a clock, but unfortunately no toll-free. Phone conversation provides support, but not enough, and longer psychological support is needed to solve the situation.
Also they mentioned that there’s not enough of communication between institutions and society which arouses even more
The 9th of October Association Skalbes organized press conference and invited also the Head of Welfare Department of Riga City. The biggest Latvian news agencies sent their journalists, and the campaign and results of it were reflected in biggest newspapers and TV channels.
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