World Mental Health Day: new mental health campaign launched across Shropshire

10 October 2018

The following information is from our partners at Shropshire Council:

Health colleagues across Shropshire are encouraging young people and adults throughout the county to look after their mental health as they do their physical health, through a new campaign being launched today, World Mental Health Day (Wednesday 10 October 2018).

The ‘Every Mind Matters’ campaign, led by Public Health England (PHE), highlights that while we can all feel stressed, anxious, low or have trouble sleeping, there are simple actions we can take to cope better and prevent these issues from becoming more serious.

The free guide is available on the One You website via an interactive video tool, downloadable MP3 audiobook and an e-book and will also feature personal stories from a variety of case studies.

Having good mental health can help us feel and function better, have more positive relationships with those around us, and deal with and manage difficult times now and into the future. Over time, having good mental health may also reduce our risk of physical health problems.

Professor Rod Thomson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said: “With the ever-increasing pressures of day to day life, mental health support has never been more important.

“I would strongly encourage those who may experiencing a bit too much of life’s ups and downs or know of someone who is, to look at the Every Mind Matters guide, which provides expert advice, practical tips, and experiences from real people to help manage these issues and those of others.”

Professor Steve Trenchard. Programme Director for Mental Health, Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Our mental and physical health are closely entwined – so looking after both is a good thing to do. Taking time to listen to your friends and loved ones, and having someone you can talk to about your worries and stresses is really important. Across Shropshire, we are about to start a consultation on developing a new all-age mental health strategy, and we hope you’ll get involved. The materials launched today will provide you with excellent tips on taking care of yourself, and where to get help if you’re feeling unwell.”

Shrewsbury resident Lisa Richards (51) works in urban planning in Telford, and knows the importance of managing your mental well-being every day, following a traumatic event growing up.

Lisa said: “When I was 19, my mother attempted to take her own life. She’d suffered with anxiety and depression for a long time, like her own mother, but my dad’s Crohn’s Disease meant he was often very unwell and spent a lot of time in hospital, and my mum had also suffered a back injury which stopped her working – so all the pressure just added up and she couldn’t take any more. Although my mother survived, in some ways we lost her as a family, as she was the shadow of her former self. This really affected me and I felt anxious, upset, and a huge sense of loss; grieving for the mother I had lost.

“When I was 27, I took a month of work to go travelling, mainly in Australia, where I had some family. It was a really amazing trip of a lifetime, but being away from everything gave me chance to reflect – and far from ‘getting away from everything’, I realised I’d been supressing feelings linked to my mother’s attempted suicide and I couldn’t escape them, wherever I went. When I came back from my trip I hit a real low point in my life and realised I needed to take some time out and get support from counselling.

“I learned how important it is to recognise the signs of stress, trauma and low mood, and manage them so they didn’t spiral out of control. I self-manage with the aid of yoga and meditation every morning, and find that really helps. I also enjoy swimming and walking in the local park; just taking time to be in the present moment is really helpful. It’s really important that people understand how everyday stresses and different events in your life can pile up and overwhelm you – which is why you need to take care of your mental health every day, and know there are things you can do to improve and maintain your mental well-being.”

The Every Mind Matters guide also offers support for social anxiety, trauma, obsessions and compulsions or panic attacks and provides information for people wishing to help friends, family and colleagues experiencing mental health problems.

To find out more about Every Mind Matters visit:  http://po.st/EMM_Shropshire

Further information

Every Mind Matters has been developed in conjunction with leading charities, academics and clinicians and is endorsed by leading experts in mental health.

Each year, around one in four people in England experience a mental health problem[1] and the proportion of diagnosable common mental health conditions[*] has increased by 20% in 20 years.[2]

A new survey of adults in the Midlands conducted for PHE also shows nearly three quarters (71%) of people in the Midlands report experiencing one or more of low mood, anxiety, stress and trouble sleeping frequently or occasionally.¹

Stress is the most common response, with over half (53%) experiencing this frequently or occasionally, compared to 51% for sleeplessness, 46% for low mood and 40% for anxiety.¹

The survey also found that two thirds (66%) of adults in the Midlands say they look after their physical health on a weekly basis, but less than half (46%) look after their mental health as regularly.¹

These figures highlight the importance of helping people to better understand and take action on their own mental health.

[*] Adults aged 16–64

[1] McManus, S., Meltzer, H., Brugha, T. S., Bebbington, P. E., & Jenkins, R. (2009). Adult psychiatric morbidity in England, 2007: results of a household survey. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care.

[2] Health Profile for England: 2018 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-profile-for-england-2018/chapter-3-trends-in-morbidity-and-risk-factors#mental-health