Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day, October 10, was celebrated at Belgrade's Ada Ciganlija. The program, which opened with a walk for mental health, was organized by the humanitarian organization Caritas and the Ministry of Health. In cooperation with the Office of the World Health Organization in Serbia, the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, the Charitable Fund of the Serbian Orthodox Church "Love for Humanity" and the Studio B television, and with the financial support of the European Union, the Caritas organization and the Ministry of Health are implementing the anti-stigma campaign "Let's open the door - soul the disease is not contagious, but indifference is", which is part of the project "Promotion of mental health in Serbia". In addition to the anti-stigma campaign, Caritas promotes user associations - expanding the network of self-help.

The celebration of the World Mental Health Day was helped by associations for the protection of people with mental health difficulties, which presented themselves at several stands placed along the promenade: the Association of Users of Psychiatric Services and Their Families "Duša", the Association for Support of People with Neuroses "Hertz", the Association for support for people with developmental disabilities "Naša kuća", Association "Video". Home for children and youth with mental retardation - Sremčica and "Male pčelica" Adult Accommodation Institute from Kragujevac presented works of folk art produced as part of occupational therapy. The organization was supported by the Institute for Mental Health and SPB "Laza Lazarevic", and at the ceremonial opening, among others, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Periša Simonović, as well as Paolo Sera from the Italian Caritas spoke.

Associations handed out flyers of educational content to passers-by and visitors, where the nature of some mental disorders, as well as some of the most common prejudices related to users of psychiatric services, were briefly presented. They could also give the visitor short information tests about psychiatric diseases and people who are treated for them, after which they received correct answers with explanations. The goal of the gathering is, as Caritas states, "to point out the fact that mental and behavioral disorders are an integral part of our everyday life and that it is necessary for us all to raise awareness of the importance of social rehabilitation and the prevention of stigmatization and marginalization of people with mental problems."

As one of the main problems related to the protection of mental health in Serbia, Larisa Despotović, vice-president of the "Herz" association, cites stigmatization, and clinical psychologist Marija Živković tells "Vreme" that education is the best way to prevent mental disorders: "Indifference is the worst choice that man can do. We need to talk about it as much as possible, many people do not know what neurosis is, they often have some physical symptoms and do not know what is happening to them." Larisa Despotović states that the number of people with mental disorders in Serbia increases by about 13 percent every year.

After the walk, volleyball games were organized on Ada in which the users of psychiatric services, residents of social institutions and doctors and employees of these institutions took part. A poetry reading was also organized, and at the end, the users of the Day Hospital in Padinska Skela performed the theatrical play "Suspicious Face" by Branislav Nušić.

Apart from Belgrade, October 10 is celebrated in Novi Sad and numerous other cities in Serbia.