THINKphysical tickets now on public release (all events FREE)

The full programme for THINKphysical: Manchester Mental Health Festival is now in place and tickets are open to all. The first festival of its kind to focus on the importance of improving the physical health of people with severe and enduring mental illness (SMI), it will take place between 14 and 19 June 2015 at venues across Manchester, bringing together academic, healthcare and charity organisations alongside service users, carers and the general public in a week-long series of fantastic events. The festival will deliver a variety of events including free health checks, creative writing sessions, a biking demonstration by British Cycling, a rounders tournament, public lectures and even specially commissioned theatre productions at the Contact Theatre. Throughout the week, people will be able to receive information on the side effects of antipsychotic medication, sign up to a register of people interested in taking part in research, and contribute to the development of a new questionnaire designed to measure satisfaction with physical healthcare. Compared to the general population, people with SMI have much poorer physical health, a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and significantly reduced life expectancy. This unacceptable health inequality is due to a number of factors, including reduced access to healthcare, the effects of some antipsychotic medications and individual lifestyle choices, including potentially higher smoking rates, poorer diets and lower physical activity levels. The events that make up THINKphysical will raise awareness of these issues and highlight some of the excellent services already on offer. Officially kicking off with the launch event at Manchester Town Hall on Monday 15 June, THINKphysical promises to be an exciting week of activities that puts mental and physical health at the forefront of people’s minds both in Manchester and nationally. View the programme and secure your tickets on Eventbrite: http://thinkphysical.eventbrite.com. Five THINKphysical events are non-ticketed and only appear on the CLAHRC Greater Manchester website: http://clahrc-gm.nihr.ac.uk/thinkphysical/whats-on/.

Date Published: 18/05/2015