Illness's stigma 'kicked out'
A soccer tournament was taking place on Friday to kick out the stigma of mental
illness.

The five-a-side event in Liverpool - featuring teams from across the North West
- has
been organised to mark World Mental Health Day.

Health professionals and their patients are in the teams that aim to raise
awareness
of mental health and tackle prejudice against those who suffer from the "silent
illness".

The event, at the city's Crown Street Resource Centre, features 12 teams and
offers
members of the public the chance to learn more about the condition in an
informal
setting.

Jeremy Chowings, Liverpool City Council's executive member for health and social
care, said: "One in four people will experience some kind of mental health
problem in
the course of a year.

'No obvious symptoms'

"This makes mental illness as common as heart disease and three times more
common than cancer. It's something that can happen to anyone."

"A lot of the time there are no obvious physical symptoms that can be treated in
a
straight forward manner.

"However, it's still a frightening time for both the individual and their family
and it's
important they receive as much support as possible."

He said the tournament offers a "fantastic way" to have fun and tackle the
stigma of
the illness.

Ex-Everton star Gordon West is due to present the winning team with their
trophy.

World Mental Health Day has been taking place on 10 October since 1992.

This year's theme is looking at the emotional and behavioural disorders of
children
and adolescents.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/england/merseyside/3179386.stm

Published: 2003/10/10 05:42:26 GMT