Dina O'kitch

Public speaker, mental health awareness raiser

Dina describes herself as a Mental Health Promoter. She has a strong science background as an Honours Biochemist with experience in Pharmaceutical Drug Development, and as a member of the Biochemistry Society.

She is a certified Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Coach Practitioner, with management experience in the UK Health & Social Care industry at senior management level.

She continues to renew her passion for raising awareness of mental health and mental illness in the UK due to the appalling statistics showing an increase of young adults suffering mental illness.

Statistics show that the “suicide rate to date among females aged 10 to 24 years has increased significantly to its highest recorded level since 1981”(ONS 2018).

Her work focuses on providing parents with an understanding of mental health/mental illness, which empowers families to make better choices for their children and for themselves.

Dina believes that working with parents will not only empower them, but will contribute to the eradication of the stigma that surrounds mental illness in communities.

Dina is currently working on educational projects with local community groups, facilitating workshops, and also creating curated content for organisations in order to help raise awareness in workplaces and within community groups.

Dina also manages a Wellbeing telephone helpline (www.lifelinespace.co.uk) for working professionals suffering from isolation and loneliness.

Some of the topics she covers include :

1. What your body may be telling you about your mental health
2. What is the mental health spectrum?
3. How to ‘safeguard’ yourself/your children against adverse effects of mental illness (faith, diet, relationships, therapy, awareness )
4. Why women are more likely to suffer mental illness
5. Mental illness and medication (SSRI’s, mood stabilisers, stimulants)

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