NORTHERN Ireland is gearing up to host the start of the Giro d'Italia, one of the most prestigious cycling races in the world, in a few months - the first time it will have started outside continental Europe.
Of course the race will be filled with top professional cyclists from across the world but many more people will take part in volunteering and support events, such as the Chain Reaction Cycles Big Italian Bike Ride.
Action Mental Health (AMH), along with Marie Curie, are the official charity partners of this event which will see 1,200 Northern Ireland cyclists taking in parts of the 'Grand Depart' route the week before the big race.
As a leading mental health charity, it is important for us to highlight the strong links between physical health and mental wellbeing and this forms a strong part of the work we do supporting thousands of people to recover and return to work each year.
Physical health and mental health are inextricably linked. People affected by mental illness experience much poorer physical health than the general population. Likewise, poor mental health is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
The statistics are startling. Depression is associated with 67 per cent increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and 50 per cent increased mortality from cancer.
People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder die an average of 25 years earlier than the general population, largely because of physical health problems.
Research tells us that physical activity is effective in the treatment of clinical depression and can be as successful as psychotherapy or medication, particularly in the longer term.
It may also help people living with anxiety and stress disorders and can have a positive effect on psychological wellbeing in people with schizophrenia. Rhythmic aerobic forms of exercise - such as cycling - appear to be the most effective in achieving mental health benefits.
Physical activity is increasingly being used in rehabilitation programmes for people with specific conditions, or in programmes to help people recover from substance abuse. This is why AMH's involvement in events such as the Bike Italian Bike Ride and our own Granite Challenge each October, are obvious partnerships for us. The past 50 years have seen remarkable advances in mental health treatment - the development of anti-depressant and anti-psychotic drugs and, crucially, psychological therapies such as cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). This means that much mental illness is curable.
Action is needed to put mental health on an equal footing with physical health, as a key public health priority. Significant inequalities still exist between physical and mental health care, including preventable premature deaths, lower treatment rates for mental health conditions and an underfunding of mental healthcare relative to the scale and impact of mental health problems.
Just because a mental illness is unseen in the head doesn't stop it being as much an illness as any other diagnosis. We need to look at people more holistically; to treat the 'whole person' not just one aspect of their being.
* David Babington is chief executive of Action Mental Health.