Promoting positive images of depression

The Black Dog campaign

Made famous by the late Prime Minister Winston Churchill then phrase “black dog”  has been used for many years to describe depression and mental health conditions.

This past week has seen the phrase become adopted as the central motif of a major campaign launched by the mental health charity, Sane. The campaign continues the work of Sane which was established to challenge some of the negative stereotypes and images which exist in regard to mental health.

The physical representation of the campaign is the desire for schools, businesses and community groups to create large sculptures of black dogs (with their own unique designed coat) and locate these in our cities and villages as a visual reminder of the ‘black dog’ of mental health.

Already dozens of actors and celebrities are designing their coats and supporting the campaign.

Over the years we have seen a much greater openness in talking about and sharing the experience of mental health. Yet various surveys suggest that the majority of individuals fear that if they disclose a mental health condition, such as depression, that they will be treated less favourably in their workplace. As a result most of the 1 in 4 of us who experience periods of mental ill health hide that from others.

I hope the campaign is a huge success. If it is there will be black dogs all over our communities. If it is people will be more able to be open about who they are and how they are. People will learn how to live their lives with the black dog in their midst. We will no longer push mental health to the sides but bark out its awareness from the heart of our communities. (Apologies for that pun!)

Organisations and businesses then need to consider what else they can do beyond campaigns such as this. How do you support your staff to be open and confident in talking about their depression? What training of managers and staff in mental health issues have you undertaken? Are you addressing the negative taboos which may exist in your workforce and organisation? Only when we become proactive about mental health issues do we begin to chip away at the prisons in which so many live their days.

See http://www.sane.org.uk/what_we_do/black