Write way campaign

Join our campaign to overcome stigma and discrimination

Over 50 local people prepared to tackle stigma and discrimination in the media have already joined Oxleas’ Write way campaign.

The aim of the campaign is to actively engage with the local and national media and to positively promote mental health awareness. It supports and praises positive coverage of mental health issues and encourages people to voice their opinion when there is negative coverage such as the storyline in Eastenders described above.

We are also looking for creative ideas for articles promoting mental health awareness that the local media may be interested in. Please email us if you have any ideas for events or local services that we could ask them to cover or if you have had mental health problems and would be willing to talk to the media.

The campaign operates via email, so if you would like to join, please email writeway@oxleas.nhs.uk and we will send you a Write way starter pack.

Stacey Slater Eastenders storyline

Stacey Slater becomes violent to avoid being sectioned in the BBC programme Eastenders.

Stacey Slater is brutally restrained by police as she is sectioned in the BBC programme Eastenders.

The BBC Soap Opera has been running a story about Stacey Slater and her mother Jean, who both suffer from bipolar disorder. The story has been running for several months and it is great that mental health issues are getting such a level of prime-time coverage.

However, on Friday 9 October 2009 Stacey was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and the way in which this was portrayed was unrealistic and stigmatising. She was violently restrained (see above) and dragged into a police car. It is extremely rare for such force to be used when people are sectioned and the Write way campaign believes this episode may have caused alarm and prevent people from seeking help when they are unwell.

Head of Communications Russell Cartwright has written a letter of complaint to the BBC. If you agree with our opinions we encourage you to send a similar letter.

You can read the BBC's reply here.

Positive article from The Guardian

In contrast to the negative way Eastenders portrayed a sectioning order being implemented, national newspaper The Guardian recently wrote an insightful and empathetic article following two mental health professionals working in Camden who are tasked with assessing and issuing section orders.

My day with the mental health professionals - Guardian article

Oxleas Communications Officer Andrew Mayor wrote a letter to the Guardian congratulating them on their balanced and well-written article.