LAST week saw ‘Time to Talk’ Day which was intended to encourage us all to talk about mental health.

It seems ridiculous that, in the 21st century, we have to have a day like this but, unfortunately, we do.

Mental health problems still carry an awful stigma for many people.

If people suffer from a physical ailment, they usually get sympathy but people are reluctant to talk openly about problems with mental health.

That reluctance results in isolation and stigma for people who are already struggling and makes their problems worse.

MPs from both parties have played their part to try to break down the barriers by speaking in parliament about their mental health issues, especially my colleague Kevan Jones and Charles Walker.

'It is worth remembering that one in four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives'

We should all be grateful to them for their openness and their efforts to get rid of the stigma but we all need to do our part.

It is worth remembering that one in four of us will have a mental health problem at some point in our lives and the effect is just as real as a broken arm, or leg, even though there is nothing to show for it.

So it’s time to get rid of the myths. People with mental health problems are more likely to experience violence than to be violent.

It is not true that they are not able to work.

In fact, we probably all work with someone who has a mental health problem.

It’s also true that mental health services have long been the Cinderella of the NHS.

That’s especially true for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

I know of parents desperate to get help for their child and who face long waiting times for treatment.

That’s why I’ve raised this issue in the House of Commons. If we talk about these issues, if we campaign for better services, it will benefit us all.

After all, it could be any one of us, or a member of our family, who needs help next.