Mental Health Awareness Week
9-15 October
Mental Health Awareness Week is all about recognising the importance of looking after your mental wellbeing while you’re studying. Mental Health doesn’t just refer to those who have a mental illness: everyone has a mental wellbeing to look after, and we want to help you explore all of the different ways that you can do that. For some, it might be a great film, for others, a great gym session, and for some people, it might be something as simple as spending a great ten minutes playing with a canine friend!
impact
After an amazing week of events, MHAW has come to an end for the year. A huge thank you needs to go out to the Mental Health Board for putting on the events of this week, which have been a success all round. We kicked off with "Let's Talk About Mental Health", an event that was really well received amongst students, and particular attention was paid to the impact of sexual assault on students. It was a great opportunity to gain a better understanding of a variety of experiences, and was a truly valuable session.
The second event was the Cameron Grant Memorial Night, an evening in rememberance of Cameron Grant, a student at Royal Holloway who tragically took his own life after a silent seven year battle with depression. The night opened with a touching video provided by Cameron's parents, a slideshow highlighting Cameron's life. It told the story of a boy who lived an incredible and full life, and importantly demonstrated how even those who appear to be exceptionally happy on the outside, can be deeply troubled on the inside. Depression is an exceptionally isolating illness, and one which can often be invisible. The video, songs, and poetry performed during the evening gave a voice to a very real issue, and helped to break the silence around an illness which is still stigmatized. The event ended with the release of balloons, each with a message tied to them. It was a truly touching evening.
The final series of events were the two mural making sessions. Again, these provided a creative outlet for an issue rarely given such an opportunity, and the work created during those sessions truly demonstrated a wide range of experiences from across the spectrums.
Once again, the SU would like to thank the Mental Health Board for its fantastic work organizing the week, and we would also like to thank The Cameron Grant Memorial Trust for their continued support and for the work they do in raising awareness. Find out more about them here.
We'd like to remind you that there is never a need to suffer in silence. The university offers their own counselling service which offers confidential support to all students. There are always people who are willing to listen, be it family, friends, fellow students, co-workers, or anyone else. Please don't be silent.