The number of people affected by mental health problems in Ireland is enough to fill Croke Park 14 times over, experts have said.

According to See Change, the National Stigma Reduction Partnership, one in four people experience a mental health problem at any given time. In Ireland, this is equivalent to more than the combined populations of Cork, Clare, Limerick, Waterford and Galway.

See Change is made up of a number of organisations who are working to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues. It has just launched its annual Green Ribbon campaign, which aims to promote open discussion about mental health. The campaign will run throughout May.

Research has shown that almost six in 10 Irish people would not want anyone to know if they had a mental health problem, while at least half feel that if they were open about problems they were having, it would hinder their career prospects.

"You don't have to be an expert to start talking about mental health and wearing the Green Ribbon is a simple way of standing up to the silence that breeds stigma," said See Change director, John Saunders.

Some 300,000 green ribbons will be distributed nationwide free of charge. They will be available at train stations, MABS offices and Citizens Information Centres.

People will also have the option of downloading the online supporters' pack here, adding the Green Ribbon to their Facebook profile here or tweet using the #GreenRibbonIRL.

They are also encouraged to take part in National Time to Talk Day, on May 16. This involves simply taking the time to have a conversation about mental health with family friends or colleagues. You can tweet using #TimetoTalk.

A list of Green Ribbon events is available here

For more information on depression, see our Depression Clinic here