Otago Mental Health Support Trust manager Grant Cooper said the theme for the awareness week this year was to ''connect with nature'' and how the health and wellbeing of people benefits from the connection.
Picnic rugs were strewn across the upper Octagon by the trust and Dunedin Mental Health Network yesterday to encourage people to ''relax and enjoy'' the free barbecue and soup on offer.
''About half the population is going to have some experience of mental illness before the age of 75. It's incredibly common and it's not going away,'' Mr Cooper said.
At the launch, staff from 15 organisations such as the Department of Conservation, Sport Otago and Volunteering Otago gave information on how people could connect with nature.
The week was about raising awareness, the understanding of mental health concerns and reducing stigmatisation so people felt more comfortable asking for help, he said.
Southern District Health Board medical director of mental health Dr Brad Strong said research revealed if people spent time in nature it was beneficial for mental and physical health.
SDHB staff were encouraged to spend time outside yesterday, Dr Strong said.
''We appreciate how busy our staff are but we're encouraging them to take a few minutes to go outside and discover how even a short break makes us feel better,'' Dr Strong said.
