WHENEVER a boxer comes out of retirement for one more fight the cry goes up that he's only doing it for the money, that it makes a mockery of the sport.

The sad and very public decline of Frank Bruno perhaps explains that it isn't the hard cash alone that motivates such comebacks.

It happens in many walks of life. People who have spent their life dedicated to a particular cause suddenly find themselves lacking purpose or direction when the job comes to an end. Throw in the break-up with his long term partner and it's not hard to see why big Frank felt his world was falling apart.

Police officers can retire after 28 years service but I've known many over the years who have done that and then gone into rapid mental and physical decline. Retirement is not always all it's cracked up to be. The everyday pressures of modern life can take their toll on anyone, indeed every year a staggering one in four of us will suffer some form of mental problem.

Hopefully Frank will make a full recovery and good can come out of all this in the shape of better public understanding of mental health. A shattered mind is just like a shattered bone. It needs treatment, time and space to recover.

A few years ago the press may well have used words like 'nuthouse' to describe Frank's current residence. Thankfully we have moved on from such ignorance but The Sun still managed to upset many by referring to Frank as 'Bonkers'.

It was a mistake made under the pressure of deadline and the offending headline changed for later editions of the paper. Clearly embarrassed the red-faced red top has now set up a fund for people who suffer mental health problems, donating £10,000 itself and immediately attracting similar large sums and supportive quotes from various stars. From the page three girl to the agony aunt, everyone on the paper was at pains to point out that The Sun cares and they even gave Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity SANE, space to write an article.

I imagine many will look on such an about turn as hypocritical; they might even be critical of Ms Wallace for writing in a newspaper that just 24 hours earlier had been so foolish.

But the reality is that that headline blunder may well prove to be the biggest breakthrough mental health charities have ever had in changing public perception. The public can be educated in language as the virtual extinction of terms such as 'mongol' and 'spastic' illustrates. And the high profile of Frank Bruno can help change the public perception of mental health in the same way as Freddie Mercury and a host of other stars have done for AIDS.

Ms Wallace is wise enough to know that the chance to take the message direct to The Sun's ten million readers is about as big a boost as her charity will ever get. It will also help in the battle to increase funding from central Government. The most important message is that if you feel your world is falling apart or you fear someone close to you is suffering a breakdown, you must get help before, like Frank, it gets so bad the last resort of sectioning becomes the only option.

The helpline number for SANE is 0845 767 8000 and it operates from noon until 2am everyday.