主播大秀

• Cornwall mental health phone-in "saved my life"
• 100th phone-in broadcast yesterday
• It comes as show is nominated for a national health award
• "They turn to us before husband or wife," says presenter

The phone-in, now in its eighth year, aims to destigmatise hidden illnesses, give expert advice and provide a safe place for people to turn for help.

The monthly mental health hour is part of Laurence Reed’s regular weekday show on 主播大秀 Radio Cornwall from midday to 3pm. As the 100th show went on air on Wednesday, April 3, the station announced that the phone-in has been nominated for a national health award.

“One day a woman tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘Laurence you have saved my life, the mental health phone in gave me the confidence to seek help’,” the 主播大秀 Radio Cornwall presenter said.

“It’s moments like these that make you realise how important it is to talk about these things.

“People call up who have attempted to take their own lives. They talk very candidly and openly about the most personal of topics - it’s amazingly brave.

“I had a 12-year-old phone up, with her parents’ permission, whose brother took his own life because of alcohol and drugs dependency, it was so powerful.

“Sometimes people turn to us before they turn to their husband or wife.”

Each month Laurence is joined in the 主播大秀 Radio Cornwall studios in Truro by mental health practitioners with specialist knowledge on that week’s topic. Often there are other guests who have suffered with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia or suicidal thoughts.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, every week one in six adults experience symptoms of a common mental health problem.
Nearly half of adults believe that they have had a diagnosable mental health problem, yet only a third have received a diagnosis.

Mental health has become an important topic in the last few years, but in 2011 it was an issue that was often kept behind closed doors.

“It just wasn’t something a lot of people wanted to talk about,” Laurence explained.

“At first the mental health practitioners were quite wary of coming on the radio.

“We spent a lot of time doing seminars with them, showing them we are talking about these things, not judging them. Before this many of them would only get calls from the media when there was a suicide or something terrible had happened.”

Laurence said that people now “get what we’re trying to do”, adding that they now got “substantially more calls” than they did when the show started eight years ago.

The phone-in has been nominated for a HSJ Value Award. Winners will be announced at Manchester Central on Thursday, May 23.

The mental health phone-in is on the first Wednesday of every month from 1-2pm. To join in call Laurence on 0808 100 1039.

JP