Steve Brine is supporting Time to Change, the mental health anti-stigma programme run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, by taking part in the national Time to Talk Day and taking 5 minutes on 5th February to have a conversation about mental health.
The Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP will join hundreds of schools, organisations and members of the public on Time to Talk Day to break the silence that surrounds mental health.
One in four people experience mental health problems each year, and many still face stigma and discrimination as a result. On Time to Talk Day it is expected that thousands of individuals and hundreds of organisations will come together to show that it really is time to talk about mental health, breaking the stigma surrounding it.
Steve Brine, who met up with the mental health charity MIND in the House of Commons last week, said: "It's been incredibly encouraging to see more and more people – from parliamentarians and business leaders to people in local communities, including my own constituency - talking publicly about their experiences of mental health problems. The more we talk, the more we can break the silence that surrounds mental health, which is why I will be taking five minutes to have my conversation on Time to Talk Day."
Sue Baker, Director of Time to Change, said: "Time to Talk Day is an opportunity to get more and more people talking about mental health. Having a mental health problem is hard enough but sometimes the isolation and stigma can make it even worse. That's why we need everyone to join together on Thursday 5th February to help break the silence by having a conversation.
"Last Time to Talk Day, together as a social movement we had more than a million conversations and this year we're aiming to keeping the conversation going for 24 hours straight. If you aren't already, please get involved and visit our website to find out more."
More information ...