How should we illustrate mental health?

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/apr/02/how-should-we-illustrate-mental-health

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Chances are, if you’ve read a piece about mental health, you’ve seen the standard head-in-hands stock image.

Now mental health charities want to change the imagery used for articles discussing mental illness for the better. Time to Change recently launched their Get the Picture campaign, urging media organisations to use alternative images to the “headclutcher” stereotype.

The charity says they believe this standard image is stigmatising and asked 2,000 people for their views on the images used to illustrate mental health. Their survey reported the following findings:

As a result, Time to Change has created a wide range of images, many featuring people who have had personal experience with mental health issues, to kick start their Get the Picture campaign. They’ve also encouraged people to tweet their own “headclutcher” image with the hashtag #GoodbyeHeadclutcher to raise awareness.

Stephen Fry says #goodbyeheadclutcher and hello #getthepicture. Join him and send us your alternatives! pic.twitter.com/M1jzs6f07o

For many, this is a positive start to improving the way mental health is illustrated in the media. So, we would like to ask you how you would take it further: how would you illustrate mental health? Would you draw something? Would you take a photograph?

Send us your pictures via GuardianWitness and we’ll feature the best in our coverage. You can also send us submissions via tumblr, by tagging Let’s Talk Mental Health in your post.