Punjab, Oct. 10 -- World Mental Health Day fell on 10 October, and this year's theme is "Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change" - a demand that people with mental health conditions help design and evaluate services rather than only appear in campaigns about them.
What the theme is actually asking for
The World Federation for Mental Health sets the theme; WHO carries it as a co-campaigner. The distinction the organisers are drawing is pointed: between inviting people to share their stories, which happens every October, and letting them influence decisions and help design, implement and evaluate services, which mostly does not.
It is a governance demand dressed as an awareness theme. In practice it means service users on the co...