World Mental Health Day is celebrated on the 10th of October annually, with the aim of increasing awareness about mental health issues and promoting mental well-being. It offers a chance to combat the stigma associated with mental health and urge individuals to seek assistance and support when required. Across the globe, various organisations and communities arrange events, discussions, and activities to tackle mental health concerns, educate the public, and campaign for enhanced mental health services and resources.

Presented by the World Federation of Mental Health, the goal is to help raise mental health awareness. Each of us can make a contribution to ensure that people dealing with problems concerning mental health can live better lives with dignity. The stigma attached to mental health causes a damaging, albeit ill-informed, attitude, making it more difficult for those affected to pursue help. This year’s theme highlights, ‘mental health is a universal human right’.

Read: 5 books for Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

According to UK estimates, only about one-fourth of those with mental health problems undergo ongoing treatment. By stark contrast, the vast majority of those affected with these problems are faced with a variety of issues, ranging from isolation to uncertainty on where to get help or information, to relying on the informal support of family, friends or colleagues.

Recent figures from the Mental Health Foundation found that children and adults in the lowest income bracket were two to three times more likely to develop mental health problems than in the highest. Whilst asylum seekers were five times more to have mental health needs than the general population. And 38% of people with mental health issues also have long term physical health conditions.

Here are some harrowing personal reads from people living through various stages of life.

Best books for World Mental Health Day

• 📚 My Lobotomy by Howard Dully. A haunting memoir of a controversial medical procedure and its lifelong impact on the author.
• 📚 An Unquiet Mind by Kay Redfield Jamison. A poignant account of bipolar disorder, blending personal experience with professional insight.
• 📚 Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen. An eye-opening memoir about the author’s time in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s.
• 📚 A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. A biography of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who battled schizophrenia.
• 📚 The Noonday Demon by Andrew Solomon. A comprehensive exploration of depression, combining personal accounts with scientific research.
• 📚 Prozac Nation by Elizabeth Wurtzel. A candid portrayal of depression and the impact of medication on the author’s life
• 📚 Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. Insights on modern anxieties and coping strategies in our fast-paced world.
• 📚 Real Stories of Dealing with Depression by Amrita Tripathi and Arpita Anand. A collection of narratives from individuals who have faced and overcome depression.
• 📚 The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang. A series of essays exploring the author’s experiences with mental illness and society’s perception of schizophrenia.

Read: Talk To Us campaign: 5 books on mental health

• 📚 Man’s Search for Meaning in Life by Viktor Frankl. A profound exploration of finding purpose and resilience in the face of suffering.
• 📚 The Lonely Stories: 22 Celebrated Writers on the Joys & Struggles of Being Alone, Edited by Natalie Eve Garrett. A diverse collection of essays reflecting on solitude and its impact on creativity.
• 📚 The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss, by Mary-Frances O’Connor. An examination of the brain’s response to grief and the healing process.
• 📚 Willow Weep for Me: A Black Woman’s Journey Through Depression, by Meri Nana-Ama Danquah. A personal account of depression’s impact on a Black woman’s life.
• 📚 What Happened to You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry. A dialogue on understanding and healing from trauma.
• 📚 Heavy: An American Memoir, by Kiese Laymon. A powerful memoir addressing race, identity, and addiction in America.
• 📚 Dear Friend, from My Life I Write to You in Your Life, by Yiyun Li. A contemplative exploration of the author’s relationship with literature and mental health.

Remember to check local libraries, bookstores, or online retailers for these books, as they can be valuable resources for understanding and improving mental health on World Mental Health Day and beyond.

Check out the episode on communicating on time to talk day.

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