World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to meaningfully engage with people with lived experience (PWLE) of mental health conditions and to recognize their knowledge as a vital form of expertise. This year’s campaign calls for their voices to shape the policies, services and decisions that affect their lives.
Lived experience is what someone has experienced themselves, especially when it gives the individual knowledge or understanding that people who have only heard or learnt about such experiences do not have.
Too often, PWLE are asked to share their stories but excluded from decisions. Meaningful engagement extends beyond simply being heard.
It means creating opportunities for people to influence decisions, co-design services, strengthen peer-led approaches, challenge stigma and strengthen accountability. When PWLE are meaningfully engaged, mental health systems are likely to become more person-centred, rights-based and responsive to people’s needs and concerns.
One important priority for PWLE is the shift away from long-stay psychiatric institutions towards community-based, person-centered mental health care. Institutions tend to be isolating and are too often associated with poor-quality care, coercion and human rights abuses. Deinstitutionalization requires a carefully planned shift in funding, services and support so that people can live in their communities. Reflecting this priority, WHO will launch practical guidance on deinstitutionalization.
What Is World Mental Health Day Why Is It Important?
World Mental Health Day is observed every year on 10 October to raise awareness about mental health, encourage efforts to support mental well-being and draw attention to the need for accessible, quality mental healthcare. WHO also recognises mental health as a basic human right
The importance of the day lies in something larger than awareness alone.
Mental health conditions are common, but many people still do not receive appropriate care.
WHO notes that mental health systems remain significantly under-resourced and that large treatment gaps persist across the world.
The day therefore creates an opportunity to talk about:
- Recognising problems early
- Reducing stigma
- Improving access to care
- Understanding what good mental healthcare should look like
The idea of mental health awareness also extends beyond one date.
In some countries, Mental Health Awareness Month is observed in May, while local organisations may conduct mental health awareness weeks or other programmes during the year. These are broader awareness efforts, whereas 10 October is the official World Mental Health Day observance led globally through the WHO campaign.
For someone reading this on October 10, the most useful purpose of the day is perhaps the simplest one:
“To make mental health a subject we can discuss with the same seriousness with which we discuss physical health.”
What Is the World Mental Health Day 2026 Theme and Why Does It Matter?
The official World Mental Health Day 2026 theme is:
“Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change”
WHO’s campaign focuses on people who have personally experienced mental health self care conditions and the importance of recognising their lived experience as a genuine form of expertise.
It calls for these voices to help shape mental health policies, services and decisions that affect their lives.
There is an important idea behind this.
A mental health professional brings clinical training.
A researcher brings scientific evidence.
A healthcare system brings its experience of delivering services.
But the person who has actually lived through depression, psychosis, addiction, severe anxiety or another mental health condition knows things that cannot be learnt from a textbook alone:
- What it feels like to seek help
- What makes care difficult to access
- What helps recovery
- Where a healthcare system may unintentionally create another barrier
WHO therefore argues that people with lived experience should be involved not only in sharing their stories, but in co-designing services, influencing decisions and assessing whether those services actually work for the people using them.
“Being heard is not only about feeling understood. It can also change the way care is designed.”
And that is what makes the 2026 theme more than a slogan.
Lived experience can help make mental health programmes more relevant.
PWLE bring knowledge that cannot be gained from professional training or research alone. They can identify barriers that others may overlook and help ensure that policies, services and programmes respond to people’s actual needs and circumstances.
How anxiety can affect physical health
According to the WHO, anxiety disorders and physical health can influence each other. Physical tension, heightened nervous system activity and harmful alcohol use associated with anxiety are also recognised risk factors for conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
The organisation also notes that anxiety disorders are associated with an increased risk of depression, substance use disorders and suicidal thoughts and behaviours. These links u ..
Reduce alcohol and avoid illicit drugs: The WHO warns that alcohol and drug use can worsen anxiety symptoms over time.
Stay physically active: Regular movement, including a short daily walk, can help support mental well-being.
Maintain a routine: Eating regular, healthy meals and keeping consistent sleep and wake times can support overall well-being.
Practise relaxation techniques: Slow breathing and muscle relaxation can help people manage stress.
Treatment and professional support
The WHO identifies psychological interventions, particularly talk therapies based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as effective treatments for anxiety disorders. Such interventions can help people develop different ways of thinking, coping with anxiety and responding to situations that trigger fear. Exposure therapy, in which people learn to face feared situations in a controlled way, is one approach supported by evidence.
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Mental Health care Tips
Mental Health Care Tips
1. Talk to Someone You Trust
Talking to someone you trust, whether a friend, family member, or colleague, can help. You may feel better when you can openly share what you are going through with someone who cares about you. If face-to-face interactions are limited, you can stay connected with loved ones through video calls, phone calls, or messaging apps.
2. Look After Your Physical Health
Taking care of your physical health can support your mental health and well-being. Aim to be active for at least 30 minutes daily, whether through running, walking, yoga, dancing, cycling, or gardening. Eat a balanced and healthy diet, and make sure you get enough sleep.
3. Do Activities That You Enjoy
Continue doing activities that you find meaningful and enjoyable, such as cooking for yourself or loved ones, playing with your pet, walking in the park, reading a book, or watching a film or TV series. Having a regular routine with activities that make you feel happy can help you maintain good mental health.
4. Steer Away From Harmful Substances
Avoid using harmful substances such as drugs, kava, alcohol, or tobacco to cope with difficult feelings. Although they may seem to help in the short term, they can make you feel worse in the long run. These substances can also put you and others at risk of diseases or injuries.
FAQ’s
1. When is World Mental Health Day 2026? World Mental Health Day 2026 will be observed on October 10, 2026.
2. Why is World Mental Health Day important? It raises awareness about mental health, encourages open conversations, and promotes access to appropriate support.
3. What are some simple self-care tips for better mental well-being? Getting enough sleep, taking breaks, exercising, talking to trusted people, and setting healthy boundaries can support mental well-being.
4. How can I manage daily stress? Break tasks into smaller steps, take short breaks, practise slow breathing, and ask for help when responsibilities feel overwhelming.
5. How does social media affect mental health? Excessive social media use and comparing yourself with others may contribute to stress or low self-esteem for some people.
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