World Mental Health Day on October 10th marked the beginning of a two-year campaign to improve mental health at work and at home.

Poor mental health, manifested as depression and high stress levels at work and at home, is one of the greatest causes of disability in the world, and is growing faster than cardiovascular problems as a source of disability, according to the Mental Health Association of Ireland .

Chief executive Mr Brian Howard says the association is undertaking several initiatives over the next two years to heighten awareness of the economic and health costs of depression and stress.

The association has produced four leaflets packed with advice on how to cope with depression and stress at work or at home, entitled Mental Health in the Workplace, Stress, Managing your Mental Health and Ten Steps To Keep Stress Under Control.

Ten Steps To Keep Stress Under Control, comprising two A4 sheets, offers practical tips. For instance, planning your day is seen as vital to controlling stress. However, it emphasises that the plan must be realistic. To sleep well, it suggests half an hour to unwind before going to bed. This could involve a brisk walk, a hot bath or a warm milky drink.

The association says "a well-balanced diet enables the mind and the body to cope better with stress. Exercise helps you to de-stress. Aerobics, swimming, cycling or simply taking the stairs rather than the lift, or walking instead of taking the car for short journeys, are ways of fostering mental and physical health.

Problem-solving skills are also a key to controlling stress, while finding support from other people, who can act as "safety valves", is important. Time out just for you is recommended - treating yourself to a little reward.

Leisure interests beyond the workplace are also "tremendously beneficial".

Relaxation is a learned skill. Even if you think you are relaxed, you might carry above average muscle tension in the body, according to the association. The leaflet Managing Your Mental Health explores issues such as how we feel about ourselves, how we feel about others and how we are able to meet the demands of life. It says that self-esteem is essential to maintaining mental health.

The leaflet Stress includes a section on self-awareness and urges us to identify areas in our lives in which stress occurs. "Recognise what you can change by avoiding, eliminating or reducing your exposure to stress . . . Strive to change the source of stress and/or your reaction to it."

Finally, Mental Health in the Workplace provides a comprehensive summary of the key causes of mental ill-health in the workplace.

For further information, contact the Mental Health Association of Ireland, Mensana House, 6 Adelaide Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin. Telephone: 01-2841166. Fax: 012841736. Email: mhai@iol.ie. Website: www.mensana.org jmarms@irish-times.ie