Mental Health Matters

Everyone has mental health in the same way that everyone has physical health, and just like physical health, whether it is good or poor can change over time. Mental health can also be referred to as ‘emotional health’ and is often included when we talk about our well-being in general. When we are in good mental health, we find it easier to cope with life and the challenges it can bring, whether that is at home, work, or school. It can affect relationships with family and friends and our outlook on life and what we want to achieve.

As we move through life our circumstances change. We may experience setbacks or traumatic events which can affect people in different ways and how we react to or ‘bounce back’ from these can vary – an event that one person may take in their stride may take someone else a long time to recover from emotionally.

There are a variety of problems that can impact our mental health, from the worries and fears of everyday life such as exams, moving house and work, to diagnosed longer-term conditions such as anxiety disorders and depression and even serious mental health illness such as multiple personality disorder and schizophrenia.

Some severe mental health disorders can interfere with how a person perceives reality and may include hallucinations and delusions.

What do the statistics say?

• Around 1 in 10 people are experiencing anxiety and depression at any one time
• 4-10% of people in England will experience depression in their lifetime
• 1-2 people in every 100 people experience severe mental illness such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia
• In 2018, according to the ONS, the suicide rate in the UK was 11.2 deaths per 100,000 people, with 75% of these being male
• Depression affects around 22% of men and 28% of women aged 65 years and over, yet it is estimated that 85% of older people with depression receive no help at all from the NHS
• An estimated 12.7% of all sickness absence days in the UK can be attributed to mental health conditions

Whilst social perception around mental health is changing, there is still an existing stigma that can prevent people from accessing vital help and support. We must be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of poor mental health in ourselves and others. Early intervention from professionals, family and friends can be key in preventing mental health problems from developing further or in providing individuals with a diagnosis and medication or therapies to help manage the impact on our daily life and those around us.

Some early indicators of poor mental health could be:

• poor concentration
• being easily distracted
• worrying more
• finding it hard to make decisions
• feeling less interested in day-to-day activities
• low mood
• feeling overwhelmed by things
• tearfulness
• tiredness and lack of energy
• sleeping more or less
• talking less and avoiding social activities
• talking more or talking very fast, jumping between topics and ideas
• finding it difficult to control your emotions
• drinking more
• irritability and short temper
• aggression

However, noticing some of these signs doesn’t mean you should make assumptions about what mental health problems someone may have. Instead, use them as a way of noticing when you should check-in and start a conversation about how someone is coping. Reaching out to someone may be just what they are waiting for!

You can find local services that can support mental health by accessing the following link for Hub of Hope

NHS website

Samaritans – call free on 116 123 or visit the Samaritans website

Mental Health Foundation – the following link contains a host of organisations useful contact details

You can also contact our Mental health First Aiders by emailing safeguarding@t2group.co.uk or talk to your Assessor for support