Mental Health Awareness Week was launched yesterday with the theme of dignity.

Patricia Gordon-Pamplin, the acting health minister, addressed an audience at the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute and highlighted the need to “consider the humanity in people suffering from mental illness”.

The week will be marked with a number of fun and informative events.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin said: “Each of us should question ourselves, how do we treat people who we either know have a mental health issue, or who we suspect they do because we see them as different? How many of us step away, or take another seat on the bus? Or hope someone else can deal with what we see as a problem?

“Dignity asks us to treat people with respect, as individuals and fellow human beings. It means avoiding labelling people because of a mental health diagnosis, or their association with any group.

“It requires us to be informed. People with mental health problems are not more dangerous than others. Evidence shows that they are much, much more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. There is no reason to be scared, pitying, or disrespectful.”

The minister spoke of MWI’s adoption of the Mental Health Plan of 2010 and the work done, despite a lack of resources, to ensure that people sustain their personal identity and self-respect, “which are both closely associated with the concept of dignity”.

“A key focus has been to help people through their recovery journey and avoid disruptive hospitalisations,” she said. “MWI staff not only visit homes, but seek out service users with no homes wherever they may be in the community, from shelters to park benches.

“Dignity is not limited to people who have stable home lives. It is not conditional on having a job, shelter, family or good health. It is everyone and anyone, including those who may find themselves in need of help and no one to turn to. No one is turned away.”

There were 1,806 home visits by MWI staff working in the community mental health arena in the fiscal year 2014-15, and 381 walk-in service users. These are people who turn up at MWI needing mental health support with no referral or planned appointment. There were 217 people who had a mental health crisis and had to be taken to hospital in the last fiscal year and there were 602 clinic visits, with 1,936 follow-up appointments.

“Dignity is every day. It is in how we interact. Our willingness to be open and listen, rather than judge or ignore,” Ms Gordon-Pamplin said.

“For this 2015 Mental Health Awareness Week, I would ask people in the community to consider their own perceptions of mental health. Think about people you know.

“You truly may not know when you interact with someone who has a mental health consideration. But if you are aware of someone’s mental health status, or you suspect because someone seems different, don’t turn away, don’t write them off.

“Treat them as you would want to be treated. One in four of us will suffer from a mental illness at some point. So that person, one day, could be you.”

Most events taking place this week are geared towards mental health service employees but there are two public events: the MindFrame Photo Voice exhibition at the Bermuda Society of Arts, City Hall, and on Friday, October 9, the Amazing Chase. Anyone interested in participating should e-mail morissa.rogers@bhb.bm.