Courtesy translation
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, released the following statement:
«World Mental Health Day underscores the importance of mental health as an integral part of our health; the essential prerequisite for a well-balanced and satisfactory life.
Thanks to the innovative approach launched by Franco Basaglia – whose birth’s one-hundredth anniversary is commemorated this year – Italy has promoted policies that are more respectful of the rights of people with mental disorders and has paved the way for a new conception of mental health based on social inclusion, with patients who are self-reliant and supported within the community. Nonetheless, the issue of mental health continues to often be overlooked. The prejudice and misinformation surrounding it prevent a lot of people from seeking help. These include men and women who, though living amongst us, continue to suffer in silence. And the phenomenon is even more worrying when it involves young people who, in a hyperconnected and competitive world, are obliged to withstand an often unbearable pressure. We need to put in place an adequate support network capable of meeting the needs of people affected by mental disorders and of supporting the families who are obliged to bear the enormous emotional and physical brunt thereof on a daily basis.
Employers, schools, Institutions and communities play a crucial role in making mental wellbeing a collective responsibility by calling on all individuals to do their share in building a more aware, inclusive, and supportive society. »
