World Mental Health Day 2026: Real voices, real change
World Mental Health Day takes place on 10 October and provides an opportunity to raise awareness, encourage open conversations, and reflect on how we can better support mental health and wellbeing.
This year’s theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change,” highlights the vital role that people with lived experience play in shaping mental health services, support and understanding.
At Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (BSMHFT), we recognise that listening to people who have experienced mental health challenges can help drive meaningful improvements in care. By valuing lived experience, we can better understand what matters most to the people we support and ensure services are shaped by those who use them.
Throughout World Mental Health Day, we will be sharing messages, experiences and reflections from colleagues across the Trust. These real voices help to challenge stigma, encourage conversations about mental health, and remind us that support can make a difference.
The theme also reflects our commitment to co-production, ensuring that patients, carers, service users and Experts by Experience are actively involved in developing and improving services. Their insights help us create more inclusive, compassionate and effective care for our communities.
Mental health affects us all. Whether through our own experiences or those of family members, friends, colleagues or the people we care for, taking time to listen, support one another and promote wellbeing can help create positive change.
As we mark World Mental Health Day 2026, we encourage everyone to take part in conversations about mental health, share their experiences, and help ensure that lived experiences continue to be heard.
Together, by listening to real voices, we can create real change.
Published: 10 October 2026
