Mental Wellbeing

Mental wellbeing describes your mental state - how you are feeling and how well you can cope with day-to-day life. Our mental wellbeing is dynamic. It can change from moment to moment, day to day, month to month or year to year.

The following resources are available to support people who are experiencing mental health challenges, however if they are in crisis and need urgent access to support please go to the URGENT MENTAL HEALTH section of MECC Link where you can find advice and local support services for mental health emergencies.

If you are worried that someone is at risk of suicide, please also see the section for Suicide Prevention.

If anyone experiences low mental wellbeing over a long period of time they are more likely to develop a mental health problem.  If someone already has a mental health problem, they are more likely to experience periods of low mental wellbeing than someone who hasn't. But that doesn't mean the person won't have periods of good wellbeing.

The Very Brief Intervention (VBI) pages below recognise the perception that it can be difficult to start a conversation about a person’s mental wellbeing. The following VBI uses advice from 'Time to Change' which is led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.

Our Mental health can be affected at any time in our lives, whether this is because of a relationship breakdown, a bereavement or financial worries so let’s get taking about mental health, it’s OK to ask!

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

How are you?
How are you feeling at the moment?
What’s been happening for you recently?

Assist

You mentioned you are feeling low, why do you think that is?
What have you been doing to make yourself feel better?
What more would you like to do or do more of that would help?
Reflect back what has been said to you; “you said you have not been sleeping well, tell me a bit more about that?

It may be worth asking about the causes and what could possibly be done to address them e.g. debt management, housing support, stress management.

Act

HOW TO USE THESE LISTINGS

The following resources are available to support people who are experiencing mental health challenges, however if they are in crisis and need urgent access to support please go to the URGENT MENTAL HEALTH section of MECC Link where you can find local support services for mental health emergencies.

If you are worried that this person is at risk of suicide, please also see the section for Suicide Prevention

For non-urgent mental health support, they may prefer to access services locally and so should be directed to local support services. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see listings of local support services in your borough.

Good Thinking provides digital mental wellbeing support for London. This includes free NHS-approved apps to help you deal with stress, anxiety, low mood and poor sleep. Good Thinking are regularly adding new resources so keep checking back to see what’s new. You can access Good Thinking here: https://www.good-thinking.uk/ 

Good Thinking was developed through a partnership of local authorities (led by Directors of Public Health), London’s NHS, Public Health England, supported by the Mayor of London and delivered by Healthy London Partnership.

Always give reassurances that there are lots of sources for support, however they wish to access and use them.

SELF CARE

  • Encourage the person to contact their GP. Their GP will be able support the person in many ways
  • Mind 'The charity for better mental health' has an extensive range of self help resources available
  • The NHS have has a range of self-help tools available
  • For Men -CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer accredited, confidential and free support to men anywhere in the UK through a helpline and web and webchat service.  They talk through any issue with you and offer support, advice and signposting.

 Every Mind Matters

‘Every Mind Matters’ is the first national mental health campaign from Public Health England

  • It’s an NHS-approved digital hub full of expert advice and practical tips to achieve good mental health
  • It also has a free NHS-approved online tool - ‘Your Mind Plan’ to help us:
  • deal with stress
  • boost our mood
  • improve our sleep
  • feel more in control.

Search online for 'Every Mind Matters'

https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

Support Services - Adults

Adults can self-refer to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT is a national NHS programme, which offers evidence based psychological therapies or interventions approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). IAPT is primarily for treating people with mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

IAPT treatments are delivered via a stepped care model where patients are initially offered low intensity therapies, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and guided self-help. If these treatments are unsuccessful, or not appropriate for individuals, higher intensity therapies are utilised and include one to one cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT). Please see local support and contact details for further information.

Support Services - Veterans

Veterans Combat Stress is the UK's leading mental health charity for veterans. They offer free, confidential 24-hour support to Service and ex-Service personnel who are experiencing mental health issues, including feeling suicidal.

Tel: 0800 138 1619

Web: https://www.combatstress.org.uk/help-you

Support Services - Perinatal

PANDAS Foundation

The PANDAS Foundation is here to help support and advise any parent who is experiencing a perinatal mental illness. We are also here to inform and guide family members, carers, friends and employers as to how they can support someone who is suffering.

Tel: 0843 2898401 (0900 - 2000 hrs, 7 days per week)

Web: http://www.pandasfoundation.org.uk/

Support Services - Carers

The Carers Trust

It is important that you take care of your own health, even if you are busy looking after someone else's health.  Being healthy is not only important for you, but it also helps the person you care after too.  The website contains some helpful guides on relationship management and information on self-care and respite care.

Web: https://carers.org/taking-care-of-yourself/taking-care-of-yourself 

Support Services - Children and Young People

Children and Young People can contact the 'The Mix which is a leading support service that can help young people to take on any challenge they are facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. 

For Parents

YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline, which parents/careers can call if they are worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving.  They also run a group called Parents Say, for parents whose children are accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Web: https://youngminds.org.uk/

Talk about the Five Ways to Wellbeing.  The mental health equivalent to the dietary advice to have ‘5 a day’ fruit and vegetables for physical health.

1. Connect - With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community.

  • As being well connected is good for your mental wellbeing… Is there anything you could be doing more of?
  • Can you think of connections that you would like to make or remake?

2. Be Active - Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity that you enjoy; one that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

  • What activities do you engage in on a regular basis? How would I like to develop this?
  • Are there any minor adjustments you can make in your life that can help you to be more active?

3. Take Notice -  Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are on a train, eating lunch or talking to friends. 

  • How can you practice slowing down and pausing more often?
  • What difference will incorporating this into your daily life make?

4. Keep Learning - Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. 

  • What would you like to learn about? What interests you? What do you value? What would you find useful?
  • What do you need to do to make learning something you look forward to?

5. Give - Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. 

  • Do you notice what it’s like for you when you give to others?
  • What else could you give others that you hadn’t thought of before?

Local Support and Contact Details