It can happen to anyone

Caritas organisations from South-East Europe (Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Kosovo* and Albania), together with Caritas Italiana and Caritas Bulgaria, launched a regional campaign to celebrate the World Mental Health day, October 10. The campaign aims at raising awareness about the importance of mental health prevention. The goal is to reduce prejudices and fight the stigmatisation of people with mental disorders. Therefore, it is promoted under the slogan “It can happen to anyone”.

It is estimated that about 450 million people suffer from some  mental disorder. Two-thirds of them never ask for help, because they are ashamed and fear a negative reaction of the community. People with mental disorders are often stigmatised, discriminated and neglected from society, even from their closest ones.

With this campaign, the seven Caritas organisations want to point out that mental disorders are real diseases, like all others, and that with appropriate care they can be effectively treated, especially if the treatment starts on time.

Mental disorders do not discriminate and they can affect anyone, anytime, regardless of age, sex, intelligence, education, income. Nobody is immune! It can happen to anyone!

The campaign was also supported by the bishops of Serbia, who took a photo together, holding the words of the slogan ‟It can happen to anyone‟.

The campaign is part of the initiative SOCIETIES financed by the European Commission.