October 7, 2014

University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day

The first annual Australian and New Zealand University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day on Wednesday 8 October will aim to equip students and staff in higher education with five simple but effective ways to better their mental health.

The campaign promotes the Five Ways to Wellbeing: Connect, Give, Take Notice, Keep Learning, Be Active, a list of simple actions people can incorporate into their day-to-day lives to boost wellbeing.

“Everything we do, think and feel has an impact on our mental health and wellbeing,” UOW Wellbeing Student Program Officer Cameron Faricy said.

‘The Five Ways To Wellbeing’ has been developed by the New Economics Foundation think tank based on research commissioned by the UK Government and has become a cornerstone of mental health campaigns around the world.
“Your mental health and wellbeing is just as important as your physical health and fitness and by raising awareness of this initiative we hope to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and equip members of our community with some simple tools and steps to improve their own lives and mental health,” he added.

More than 30 universities across Australia and New Zealand will take part in University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day, which coincides with Mental Health Week (5 to 12 October). On Wednesday, UOW Wellbeing, Well@work and the Centre for Health Initiatives will be at the Duck Pond Lawn to ask students and staff to make a pledge to be proactive about mental health. Pledges will be pinned to a display wall and shared with a global audience on social media using the hashtag #unimentalhealthday.

University Mental Health and Wellbeing Day
Where: Duck Pond Lawn
When: Wednesday 8 October, 11.30 am to 1.30 pm
Media contact: Cameron Faricy, Student Programs Officer at UOW Wellbeing, on +61 2 4252 8259 or cfaricy@uow.edu.au

Note to media
Interviews with UOW experts on a range of mental health related topics can be organised. For details contact Media & PR Officer Jacqueline Wales on +61 2 427 225 657 or jwales@uow.edu.au.

• Dr Peter Kelly, is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and a member of the Illawarra Institute for Mental Health, IMHRI and the Centre for Health Initiatives. Read more: Improving Indigenous Health in Regional Communities
• Professor Frank Deane, Director of Illawarra Institute for Mental Health
• Dr Mitchell Byrne, Senior Lecturer in clinical psychology