Common goal – improving mental health literacy
On 3 December, the National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries (NKIKIA) took part in the Mental Health Forum 2021 in Vilnius, where an agreement was signed to strengthen public mental health and mental health literacy.
In an event organized by the Ministry of Health (SAM), speakers discussed the impact of raising mental health literacy on mental health problems related to health, social, educational and economic monitoring data.
During the forum, psychologist-psychotherapist Sue Baker, representatives of the Government’s Centre for Strategic Analysis and the Children’s Support Centre, Mirolanda Trakumaitė, consultant at OVC Consulting, and Kristina Čiuželienė, representative of the Silver Line, spoke about the needs, opportunities, challenges and importance of mental health literacy among all ages.
At the end of the Forum, an agreement was signed to assist the society as much as possible in acquiring more knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes regarding mental health and more positive attitude towards emotional and psychological support or services, as well as other initiatives to improve society’s mental health. The agreement also aims to reduce stigma towards oneself and others.
The NKIKIA is one of six social partners invited to sign the agreement. Over the last few decades, the growing evidence suggests that the impact of arts towards health is very important. Arts and culture provide opportunities for new social connections, contribute to creativity, collaboration and critical thinking, build social cohesion and develop healthy behavioral habits. NKIKIA is ready to engage and collaborate to achieve a united positive change in mental health literacy and propose measures for implementation.
The agreement, which aims to be implemented by 2030, was signed by the National Association of Creative and Cultural Industries (NKIKIA) together with the Ministries of Culture, Social Security and Labour, Education, Science and Sport, Health, the Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations and Coalition of experts “Mental Health 2030”, the Children’s NGO Confederation, the Lithuanian Confederation of Businesses, the Council of Youth Organisations of Lithuania, and the representatives of the National Association of the Third Age Universities.
Signatories of the agreement will form a Mental Health Council to monitor the implementation and success of the initiated actions.
The results of the agreement will be measured by a range of indicators, such as reduction in stigmatized attitudes towards mental health, increase in number of students who have not been bullied once in two months, increase in proportion of people who trust other people more than those who do not, decrease in suicide death rates, and increase in social capital index.
Mental health is an important part of quality life, therefore talking about emotional health and well-being is important to achieve positive outcomes in a variety of areas.
Photo domain: Ministry of Health Care