The idea

What is the mental health equivalent of 5-a-day? Mindapples is a simple campaign to promote awareness of mental health and well being for all people, even those who self-identify as “sane”. A public campaign website will invite the general public, celebrities, health professionals and “role models” to submit their own “5-a-day” to stay mentally healthy – from playing the piano to drinking lots of water. Snippits of biography will help to contextualise the suggestions and lend a human tone to the site, whilst users can add their “me too!” votes to any idea to establish a sense of the most popular activities. The human interest for this content could be great, and we should also attract press coverage and interest from prominent organisations and thought leaders. The long-term vision for the campaign would be to attract government, third sector and commercial backing for a popular list of daily activities which can help you stay sane, which could be used by everyone from yoga teachers to bottled water companies to promote the benefits of what they offer. It will put the concept of daily mental wellness firmly into the public consciousness, and encourage everyone to think about the impact their activities have on the state of their minds.

What social need does it address?

Mental health is one of the most socially important and underfunded issues in society today, and directly or indirectly affects the majority of the population. Yet most mental health campaigns focus on providing care and acceptance for people who are officially classified as “mentally ill”. While initiatives in physical health are focusing more and more on prevention and well being, mental health continues to languish in the public imagination as something shameful, that only relates to “sick” people – with all the stigma and isolation that this culture can create. But if you can care for your body by eating an apple or going for a run, what is the equivalent for your mind? By supporting individuals to take care of their day-to-day mental well being through simple activities, we can make mental health an issue which is relevant and important for everyone. If successful this campaign could transform the definition of mental health, break down the social division between “sane” and “insane”, and promote a healthier, safer society.

What’s new about it?

Rather than focusing on mental sickness and inviting people to discuss their problems, this campaign will promote discussion of mental well being and prevention in a stigma-free, non-judgemental environment. The 5-a-day campaign raised awareness of the importance of individuals taking care of their health, and it did so without mentioning sickness or obesity. By focusing on the positive side of mental health we hope to make the discussion of mental health more socially acceptable, and raise awareness of the simple things that everyone can do to stay mentally healthy. When was the last time someone asked you what you do to stay sane?

What inspired you?

I have had direct experience of depression, stress and anxiety, and yet I would self-identify as “sane”. Many people I know have experienced what might be termed “mental illness” and yet they do not fit into what the NHS would classify as the “mentally ill”. Meanwhile I have watched well-known figures like Stephen Fry raise awareness of mental illness by “coming out” as sick, but no-one who is “sane” talking about the practical tools for managing your mind and staying well. When I spoke recently to a colleague about the five-a-day campaign I realised that there is no equivalent for mental health, and that this is the missing piece of the jigsaw – and an excellent way to use the power of advertising and the press to help everyone take better care of themselves and accept mental health as something everyone should consider.

Idea submitted by Andy Gibson

Andy is Co-founder and COO of School of Everything and Founder and Director of Sociability.

Have you got something to contribute to this idea? Andy wants you to get in touch – andy(AT)sociability(DOT)org(DOT)uk and post your comment below.

Starting with domain name – he’s already registered mindapples.org and stayingsane.org – which do you prefer?