Going green to highlight SA's mental health burden

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

59% : This year's commemorations include a series of nationwide activations designed to bring mental health into every space - from schools and workplaces to communities and homes.
59% : Sadag is running a full calendar of activities throughout mental health awareness month, including: ▪ weekly Ask the Expert Facebook (@theSADAG) Live sessions on topics relevant to everyday South Africans such as the role of culture, stigma and mental health, Ask the Dr on medication and treatment FAQs, as well as the emotional toll of breast cancer; ▪ launching new free sport groups, including new groups for youth, trauma, anxiety, educators and teachers; ▪ a new online Mental Health toolkit with resources for schools, workplaces and communities that includes free resources, videos, activities, brochures; ▪ special outreach projects including school talks, awareness talks across various workplaces, clinics, hospitals and community centres; ▪ March for Mental Health -- to wrap up mental health awareness month, on October 31, Sadag in partnership with NGOs, volunteers, patients, support groups, government stakeholders, and civil society partners, will take part in the march.
58% : This includes "Go Green for Mental Health" where schools, universities and corporates have been encouraged to buy and wear green awareness ribbons on World Mental Health Day.
58% : The paper, which included the insights of public health specialist Prof Olive Shisana, said it is estimated that the lost economic output caused by untreated common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety cost the global economy $1-trillion annually due to lower productivity at work, absenteeism (estimated at 10-billion lost worker days), foregone tax receipts and increased welfare payments.
51% : Sadag operations director Cassey Chambers said mental health is one of the most urgent issues facing South Africans and can no longer "be left in the shadows". Chambers said Sadag, with the help of government, corporates, schools, communities and civil society is determined to change this by raising awareness, breaking stigma and mobilising action.
47% : A research paper published in the Comprehensive Psychiatry journal titled "The rationale for South Africa to prioritise mental health care as a critical aspect of overall health care" stated that "improving mental health services and, thereby, mental well-being is not only a health issue but also an economic one".
46% : The ripple effect of companies, organisations and schools across the country standing up for mental health can be transformative," said Dr Colinda Linde clinical psychologist and Sadag board chair.
37% : Teen mental health issues are escalating, fuelled by economic hardship, social instability and lack of access to services.

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