Newcastle’s Burn on mental health and importance of asking for help

• Community-led mental health initiatives, such as visible environmental prompts (painted benches), can facilitate informal peer conversations and help destigmatise mental health discussions in public spaces
• Professional athletes speaking openly about mental health struggles normalises help-seeking behaviour and may increase patient engagement with mental health support services
• Public health campaigns embedding mental wellbeing into community spaces reach populations who might otherwise avoid formal healthcare settings, highlighting opportunities for prevention-focused practice

Newcastle United Foundation has painted benches in the city's Leazes Park to highlight mental health and encourage fans to talk to each other. Defender Dan Burn spoke to BBC Sport about the work being done and how important it is to "check in".

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