October is Mental Health Month and Wellways Australia has again teamed up with comedian and media personality Anthony ‘Lehmo’ Lehmann to promote the innovative public mental health awareness campaign, Stampede Stigma.
Now in its second year, Stampede Stigma is a campaign to help change community attitudes and behaviour towards people with mental health issues.
Lehmo, a Stampede Stigma ambassador, launched the inaugural campaign last year outside Victoria’s State Library surrounded by giant blow up zebras, the symbol of the campaign.
“It’s a campaign everyone should feel able to support,” said Lehmo.
“Stampede Stigma is a campaign literally about stopping the stigma, the perceptions we as a community have about mental health and those who are living with mental health issues.
“It’s about removing the feeling of shame and not having to keep the impacts of mental health challenges hidden from our family, friends and work colleagues.
“And it’s about learning how to support the people we know who are struggling with their own mental health not to feel isolated,” said Lehmo.
Last year the campaign reached over 2 million Australians, spreading the message ‘no one should have to fear being treated differently because of their mental health.’
“The stats on mental health in Australia are confronting,” said Lehmo. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that 1 in 5 Australians will experience mental health issues in any given year.”
“It’s concerning that 1 in 2 Australians will experience a mental health issue in their lifetime.
“But what’s really worrying is that 3 out of 4 Australians living with a mental health issue have said they experience stigma and discrimination in their daily lives because of their mental health.
And of those who have experienced stigma and discrimination, 54% of people say they experience stigma in their place of work. It’s the sad truth that stigma and discrimination ruin lives,” said Lehmo.
Lehmo’s recording a series of ads for Stampede Stigma aimed at changing community attitudes and behaviour towards how Australians view mental health. The ads will be released on 10 October to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
For comment contact:
Scott Samson, Media, Wellways Australia
Email: media@wellways.org or Phone: 03 8486 4208 or 0429 022 248
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