Mental health professional organizations react to social media access restrictions
Professional organizations issued a joint statement on October 10, World Mental Health Day, emphasizing that blocking scientific knowledge is a violation of the right to health.
The Psychiatric Association of Turkey, the Turkish Medical Association, and other professional organizations in the field of mental health held a joint press statement on the occasion of October 10, World Mental Health Day.
World Mental Health Day Statement
The Psychiatric Association of Turkey, the Turkish Medical Association, and professional organizations operating in the mental health field published a joint press release on the occasion of October 10, World Mental Health Day.
Important messages were delivered on this special day, where the theme set by the World Federation for Mental Health this year was 'Lived Experiences Heard: Real Voices, Real Change'.
Factors Affecting Mental Health
Attention was drawn to the fact that poverty, precarity, violence, discrimination, disasters, and ecological destruction directly affect public mental health.
Access Restrictions on Social Media Accounts
It was recalled that in September, the social media accounts of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey and the Society for Sexual Education Treatment and Research were blocked from access due to posts regarding sexual health and sexual orientation.
It was stated that this blocking decision was implemented within the scope of an investigation based on obscenity grounds and silenced the associations.
Emphasis on Access to Reliable Information
It was noted that this decision prevents a young person seeking help, a family trying to understand their child, and workers wanting to provide accurate information to their patients from accessing reliable information.
Arguing that real change cannot happen without real voices being heard, the lifting of access restrictions on social media accounts was demanded.