Salford “Fright Night” raises scale of antidepressant use

The woman who organised an event raising awareness of mental health problems says she was shocked to learn of the scale of antidepressant use in Salford. 

Research by The Health and Social Care Information Centre shows that up to one in six people in Salford use antidepressants regularly.

As a result Charlotte Wilton was inspired to run a series of events in the city to raise awareness of the issue, culminating in Fright Night at the University of Salford Students’ Union.

Charlotte has successfully run two events, with the second event at Atmosphere Kitchen and Bar on the 13th of April including six bands and artists coming on stage.

“There were six bands and artists; four singer-songwriters, a folk band and a hip-hop band. We had beer pong, hoopla, a pinata as well.”

On the stage performed bands and artists such as One6Wave , Mary Shanker and Emily Kennedy.

The mental health issue in Salford 

Mind in Salford is an independent, user-focused charity trying to make a positive difference through its services for people in Salford. They are also organising training courses provided by experienced practitioners.

In the last two years, different areas of Salford had registered higher rates of adults suffering from depression.

According to the NHS, in 2014-2015 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale had 10.6% of adults living with depression. This figure was the fifth highest in the country. Usually, five in six people either got worse, didn’t feel significantly different or didn’t feel better reliably enough by the end of their recovery.