Friday 7th April is World Health Day and this year it’s focused on mental health.

I’m backing the ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’ campaign because it’s time we had a proper talk about depression. One in four people in the UK will suffer with poor mental health at some point in their life. In fact the World Health Organisation now believes “Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide”. That means that suffering with mental health problems is as normal as a runny nose. But too often it’s ignored. A Cinderella service.

That’s not good enough for one in four of our friends, families and our community. The Liberal Democrats will keep campaigning for a stronger voice and proper funding for mental health services, both nationally and locally, but we all need to make ourselves heard too.

Many people are now starting to talk about their mental health. But it can be tough to recognise that we sometimes don’t feel 100% and tough to talk about it if we do. There are tools available to you and talk about it with friends, family or a professional.

Here are some useful links for people who want to learn more about mental health –

Mind – Mind is an amazing charity that offers help to anyone struggling with mental illness.

Samaritans – The Samaritans offer support to anyone even if you just want a chat. They’re open for calls 24/7, 365 days a year. You can call them on 116 123 and speak to one of their volunteers. It’s completely anonymous.

NHS – Your GP can help you through a difficult time, as well as help assess you and find local links to help you through a hard time. You can also find details of how to get well at the NHS online here.

World Health Organisation – World Health Day 2017.