Mind is a

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles Stress (biology), stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-maki ...

charity in England and Wales. Founded in 1946 as the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH), it celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016. Mind offers information and advice to people with mental health problems and lobbies government and local authorities on their behalf. It also works to raise public awareness and understanding of issues relating to mental health. Since 1982, it has awarded an annual prize for "Book of the Year" having to do with mental health, in addition to three other prizes. Since 2008 Mind has hosted the annual Mind Media Awards, celebrating the best portrayals and reporting of mental health across the media. Around 125 local Mind associations (independent, affiliated charities) provide services such as supported housing, floating support schemes, care homes, drop-in centres and self-help support groups. They are each governed by their own Board of Trustees and raise their own funds to deliver services, including commonly through providing services on behalf of local authorities.

History

Mind was originally known as the National Association for Mental Health (NAMH), founded in 1946 from three voluntary organisations that provided services for the "maladjusted, emotionally disturbed or mentally handicapped to any degree." The name MIND was introduced in 1972, and the lowercase version "Mind" was introduced in the 1990s. The National Association for Mental Health was formed (initially as national Council) by the merging of the following three organisations toward the end of the second world war: * Central Association for Mental Welfare (CAMW) * National Council for Mental Hygiene (NCMH) * Child Guidance Council (CGC) The first director was Ms M. C. Owen and from 1947 the medical director was Dr Alfred Torrie. These roles were combined for Mary Appleby who took over in 1951. The NCMH had been an organisation of psychiatrists and psychologists, while the CAMW comprised representatives of various voluntary bodies. Among other things, they helped run and monitor institutions for the mentally handicapped, and developed training for mental health professionals. They were both part of the social hygiene movement, and had advocated

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior o ...

and sterilisation as a means of dealing with those considered too mentally deficient to be assisted into healthy productive work and contented family life. The beginnings of the National Association for Mental Health also coincided with the development of the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

and the

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. In 1969, numerous Scientologists joined the NAMH and attempted to ratify as official policy a number of points concerning the treatment of

psychiatric Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psy ...

patients. When their identity was realised they were expelled from the organisation ''en masse''. The

Church of Scientology The Church of Scientology is a group of interconnected corporate entities and other organizations devoted to the practice, administration and dissemination of Scientology, which is variously defined as a cult, a business, or a new religious ...

in 1971 unsuccessfully sued the NAMH over the matter in the High Court. The case was resisted by Appleby and the NCMH, and the case became notable in British charity law. During the 1970s the NCMH became involved with the debate raised by Ann Shearer that mental hospitals should be shut. Shearer, a

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journalist, was joined by Anita Hunt of the

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and an architect named Sandra Franklin to create the Campaign for the Mentally Handicapped (CMH). They estimated that there were 8,000 mentally handicapped children in hospitals, and they and parent groups wanted this to end. They lobbied the NCMH but Appleby resisted their central objective, although they offered support in other areas. Appleby wanted to avoid the hospital-v.-community debate, but she saw the hospital as a focus with mental handicap able to attract separate government funding. Mind has celebrated

World Mental Health Day World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global ...

annually since it was first observed in 1992. This occurs on 10 October. Paul Farmer became

chief executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

of Mind in 2006, moving from his position as director of public affairs at the charity Rethink. He is due to leave this post in October 2022. In 2008 the charity Mental Health Media (formerly the Mental Health Film Council founded in 1963 following a Mind initiative) was merged into Mind, shutting down its Open Up service which had sought to empower mental health service users to speak up in their communities, and bringing with it control over its Mental Health Media Awards.

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

succeeded

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in 2011 as President of Mind.

Campaigns

In addition to its other activities, Mind campaigns for the rights of people who have experience of mental distress. Mind's current campaigns include: * Taking care of business — tackling workplace stress, this campaign, launched May 2010, aims to make workplaces more mentally healthy. * Another assault — exposing the high levels of victimisation and

harassment Harassment covers a wide range of behaviors of offensive nature. It is commonly understood as behavior that demeans, humiliates or embarrasses a person, and it is characteristically identified by its unlikelihood in terms of social and moral ...

experienced by people with mental health problems, and their reluctance to report

abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

to the police. * In the red: debt, poverty and mental health — exploring the impact debt has on mental health. * Our lives, our choices — Mind is part of the national campaign for independent living. The campaign calls for an overhaul of the health and social care system. In addition, Mind is part of the Time to Change coalition, along with Rethink. Time to Change is an England-wide campaign to end mental health discrimination. Mind campaigns for the inclusion and involvement of (ex)users of mental health services. In its own organisation, at least two service users must be on the executive committee of each local Mind group. The charity operates Mind Link, a national network of service users, which is represented on Mind's Council of Management, its ultimate decision-making body. For 30 years Mind has celebrated published fiction or non-fiction writing by or about people with emotional or mental distress with the annual Mind Book of the Year Award. Since 2008 Mind took over control of the annual Mental Health Media Awards, which it renamed the Mind Media Awards. This is intended to "recognise and celebrate the best portrayals of mental distress, and reporting of mental health, in the media". However, the operational running of the Awards ceremony and the selection of judges is carried out by private company Keystone Conference & Events Management Ltd. Within the complex debate on mental illness causality, Mind has developed a list of factors which in its view may trigger mental illness episodes. Mind is involved in a campaign Rethink Mental Illness to reduce the stigma associated with psychiatric illness. Inspiring South East London musician Shojon's campaign "Chocolate for the Mind".

Funding

Mind charity shop, Chase Side, Southgate

National Mind takes donations, sponsorship, grants and operates charity shops across England and Wales. Each local Mind association is an independent charity responsible for its own funding, although they are provided some project funds from national Mind. The total gross income of the local associations in 2009 was £87 million which, combined with the national Mind income of £25 million, gave a total of £112 million. At least some local associations report that the majority of their income is from the British government through local governmental and NHS grants (e.g. 74%). Mind’s national accounts for the financial year ending in March 2020 showed the charity’s total income was £58 million and expenditure was £60 million. Mind states that, while it accepts corporate support in general, it does not accept any money from pharmaceutical companies. This policy is binding on all local Minds who are not permitted to accept sponsorship or donations from pharmaceutical companies for their own events, or for fees or expenses for attending conferences.

Partnerships

In July 2015, Mind worked closely with

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on the regulator’s

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campaign to make sure communications were clear and easy to understand.

References

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External links