Making noise We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. schtoom is about more than just challenging social taboos and making lots of noise. It’s about you, me and everyone else trying to close the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’. Our launch campaign is about mental health and getting loud about the things that people don’t. Don’t forget though, we want to make enough noise for the silenced and forgotten all over the world…everywhere.
A work colleague struggling with the pressures of the workplace, a friend who can’t make rent, a relative who’s battling domestic abuse….and what about YOU? Are YOU alright? It’s safe to say that at some point in our lives we have all felt the effects of mental strain and stress – whether it’s feeling a little bit down in the dumps or plunging ourselves into some form of reckless escape – and needed a little help to get back on track.
So how do our social circumstances, standard of living and even ethnic origins impact on our ability to overcome these struggles?
‘A study carried out in Pakistan showed that factors associated with depressive disorders in upper and middle class women were marital conflicts (25.5%), conflict with in-laws (13%), financial dependency (10%), lack of meaningful job (14%), and stress of responsibilities at home and at work (9%). Another study conducted in the same country revealed that the most frequent factors forcing women to commit suicide were conflicts with husband and in-laws.’
So, what are the chances that statistics like this might transfer across, to right here in the UK? Unfortunately, pretty high. Research carried out by Time to Change partner, Rethink, into attitudes towards mental illness in the South Asian community shows that mental illness is a taboo subject for the South Asian community in Harrow as it is for the population as a whole. Here are some of the key issues:
- Shame, or sharam, fear and secrecy surround mental illness
- The causes of mental health problems are often misunderstood
- The family can be both caring and isolating
- Social pressure to conform
- People with mental health problems are not valued
- Marriage prospects can be damaged
What’s the solution? schtoom says…GET LOUD. Be brave enough to speak up about these issues and break the silence of shame and fear. You might make someone feel better.
Learn more about this campaign here.
Learn more about this campaign here.
Sounds like there’d be a million and one reasons to feel stressed, if you ask us. Sad? Angry? Depressed? Likely, all of the above and more. Despite all the media coverage we see on international development, from civil war and famine to natural disaster and maternal healthcare, we hear hardly anything about how people are feeling? Finding the strength and will to live a positive and productive life, following a traumatic event, can prove challenging for anyone.
‘War and other major disaster have a large impact on the mental health and psychosocial well-being. Rates of mental disorder tend to double after emergencies’
‘Stigma about mental disorders and discrimination against patients and families prevent people from seeking mental health care. In South Africa, a public survey showed that most people thought mental illnesses were related to either stress or a lack of willpower rather than to medical disorders'
South Africa or South London? In all honesty, this just isn't that far off what people living in the UK might think when it comes to mental disorders, right?
