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Moving
towards
a better understanding
of mental illness
The
Highland Users Group is a network of users of mental health services
across the Highlands. Our main aim is to improve the way in which we
are treated by the services we use.
HUG
campaigns to improve the rights, services and treatments of people with
mental health problems.
 Improving
Understanding
The stigma
of mental illness has been a recurrent issue for many years. In 1998
the HUG Communications Project was established to actively challenge
this stigma. We believe that it is essential that people learn about
mental illness from those who suffer from it.
Challenging
Perceptions
We deliver
mental health awareness training to professionals, ranging from GPs
and psychiatrists to police officers and voluntary sector workers.
Educating
Young People
There
is increasing concern over young people's mental wellbeing. HUG is
working with professionals in education, youth and health to develop
a mental health education programme for young people.
This
work focuses on youth groups and schools and promotes a positive approach
and encourages open and safe discussion of mental illness. We use
interactive drama and workshops to explore issues such as depression
and self harm in young people.
Representing
Users
HUG's
media work aims to encourage realistic, accurate and responsible reporting
of mental health issues.
Through
the relationships we have built with people in the media, we have
secured good coverage and positive features in the press, radio and
TV both locally and nationlly.
We run
a training course on practical media skills to encourage more HUG
members to speak out about their experiences.
Informing
the Public
HUG challenges
negative and stereotypical images of mental illness through publicity
and promotional projects which bring mental health more positively
into the public arena.
We produce
regular newsletters and a poetry and prose magazine called Moonstruck.
We have published 100,000 postcards and we are developing our own
web site.
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