Mental ill health ‘get well’ cards launched

Added on 20th October 2009 by Fiona Yorke in Mental Wellbeing

Royal College of Psychiatrists promote cards

The Royal College of Psychiatrists are selling ‘get well’ cards on their website. They have been produced for people to send to friends or family who have become mentally unwell. Celebrity Trisha Goddard has endorsed the cards saying that when she experienced mental health difficulties that the ‘get well soon’ cards were thin on the ground and to receive something would have helped her to feel less isolated.

So what’s our view?

Well we think there are pro’s and con’s to this. On the positive side we can see that they do have some value and that it allows people to show that they are ‘thinking’ about the person during what is likely to be difficult times. Our concern is that they could inadvertently fuel an ‘I am really poorly’ perspective which in some conditions may not be helpful to enabling a swift recovery.

However, for some friends and family who find it difficult to know what to say when a diagnosis of being mentally unwell is given, perhaps these cards help facilitate support for the person when without them they would have just been met with avoidance and silence on the topic.