Cheltenham students get behind anti-stigma campaign

23/09/2009

Hundreds of students and staff at Gloucestershire College’s Cheltenham Campus this week showed their support for people who experience discrimination because of mental ill health.

The Making Life Better campaign, organised by ²gether NHS Foundation Trust, visited the college’s Freshers Fayre in Princess Elizabeth Way on Tuesday (22nd September).

Students and staff registered their mood on the Making Life Better Moodometer, wrote down their thoughts on how to make life better in their community and supported local mental health services by becoming members of the Trust.

Students are known to be a vulnerable group in terms of mental health difficulties. Statistics from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy have revealed that young people are more likely than any other age group to suffer from depression. First episodes of other serious mental health illnesses such as schizophrenia and manic depression also often occur in young adulthood.

Nathan Gregory, ²gether’s Community Service Manager, said: “We provide services for all ages across Gloucestershire and we were delighted to receive such a positive response from young people at the college for our campaign.

“Students and staff came up with some great ideas on how to make life better within their community. Their support will help us to raise awareness of mental wellbeing throughout Gloucestershire and tackle the stigma that often surrounds mental ill health.”

²gether’s Gloucestershire Recovery in Psychosis (GRiP) Early Intervention Team also had a stand at the Freshers Fayre where students and tutors were able to find out about the team’s work with young people who are at risk of developing psychosis or have already had a first episode.

The Making Life Better roadshow visits The Prom in Cheltenham town centre this Friday (25th September) and Cirencester Market Place on Friday, 2nd October. Both events last from 10am to 4pm.

Visitors to the roadshow can:

• Find out more about mental wellbeing
• Learn more about mental and social healthcare services in Gloucestershire
• Become a face of the campaign by being filmed chatting on the campaign bus or campaign sofa
• Learn about becoming a member

Films from all the campaign roadshows and more information on the campaign can be viewed online at www.2getherinclusion.nhs.uk