Imperial marks Mental Health Awareness Week

Staff take part in a tai chi session on National Stress Awareness Day 2016

Last week saw staff across the College's campuses finding out more about promoting good mental health.

The theme of the national week this year was ‘Surviving or thriving?’. Aimed at staff, a series of talks, workshops and classes held throughout the week looked at the steps staff can take to look after their mental health and build resilience to cope with the demands of life. Short courses and sessions were held on topics ranging from managing change and stress awareness, to a meditation session.

Imperial’s Provost, Professor James Stirling, said: “Mental Health Awareness Week is an opportunity for us to step back from the day job and think about these issues. Going beyond this week though, mental health and the support that we offer has been a focus for us at the College for the past few years – from signing the Time to Change pledge, to training over 100 Mental Health First Aiders.”

Dr Tim Lomas, from the University of East London, delivered a guest lecture on Masculinity and Mental Health. Dr Lomas opened the lecture with an introduction to gender theories, including parents’ roles in establishing gender roles – for example by encouraging risk-taking in play in boys, and discouraging it in girls. Dr Lomas went on to discuss traditional masculine stereotypes and the ways in which these can prevent men from accessing mental health support. However, Dr Lomas was keen to stress that stereotypes and how to be an ideal man vary in different contexts, and gender can be seen as a complex performance rather than a fixed quality.

Following that theme, the week’s events at the College included a special Mental Health First Aider course with a focus on male mental health.