World Mental Health Day 2023

World Mental Health Day 2023

10 October

World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2023

  “Our minds, our rights"

World Mental Health Day 2023 is an opportunity for people and communities to unite behind the theme ‘Mental health is a universal human right” to improve knowledge, raise awareness and drive actions that promote and protect everyone’s mental health as a universal human right.

Mental health is a basic human right for all people. Everyone, whoever and wherever they are, has a right to the highest attainable standard of mental health. This includes the right to be protected from mental health risks, the right to available, accessible, acceptable, and good quality care, and the right to liberty, independence and inclusion in the community.

Good mental health is vital to our overall health and well-being. Yet one in eight people globally are living with mental health conditions, which can impact their physical health, their well-being, how they connect with others, and their livelihoods. Mental health conditions are also affecting an increasing number of adolescents and young people.  

Having a mental health condition should never be a reason to deprive a person of their human rights or to exclude them from decisions about their own health. Yet all over the world, people with mental health conditions continue to experience a wide range of human rights violations. Many are excluded from community life and discriminated against, while many more cannot access the mental health care they need or can only access care that violates their human rights.

WHO continues to work with its partners to ensure mental health is valued, promoted, and protected, and that urgent action is taken so that everyone can exercise their human rights and access the quality mental health care they need. Join the World Mental Health Day 2023 campaign to learn more about your basic right to mental health as well as how to protect the rights of others.

 


Campaign theme

Mental health is a universal human right

Hashtag

#WorldMentalHealthDay

 

Key messages

Good mental health is an integral part of our overall health and wellbeing.

Good mental health allows us to cope with challenges, connect with others and thrive throughout our lives. It’s vital and deserves to be recognised and respected.  

Mental health is a universal human right.


Human rights are universal and serve to promote and protect people’s right to dignity, autonomy and community inclusion.

Everyone has the right to access quality mental health care.

Because mental health is a universal human right, we all have the right to access quality treatment that meets our needs and respects our rights across our lifetimes.

Mental health conditions are a significant threat to the wellbeing of young people. 

Mental health conditions affect one in seven adolescents globally, with depression emerging as a leading cause of adolescent illness and disability.

We must challenge the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health.

We all have the right to live our lives free from stigma and discrimination in places like schools and workplaces. 

We all have the right to live independently and be included in the community.

People must have access to good mental health services as well as education, income generation, housing opportunities and social support in order to live independently and be included in their communities.

Good quality community mental health services and supports are crucial for all our futures.


Mental health and well-being are fundamental to enjoy a good and meaningful life. It is vital to ensure that everyone can access community mental health services and supports. In particular, access to mental health support and resources in early life can make a real difference to the health and well-being of young people and adults in later life. This should be promoted as a priority in all countries.

Recognising mental health as a universal human right empowers people to stand up for their rights – and for those around them.


If people are not aware of their human rights, they are not able to advocate for them. By including people with lived experience of mental health conditions in decision-making on mental health issues, new policies, laws and service planning can be positively influenced and guided by their expertise.

You might know your mind – but do you know your rights? Every person’s mind is wonderful, complex and different. But our rights are the same.

By knowing your mental health rights, you can stand up for what’s right – for you and for others.