Diary of a mental health service user
A mental health service user who volunteers at an NHS trust: Monday I edit a newsletter for the NHS trust for one of the local acute mental health wards and have an editorial meeting with the ward manager. The next issue focuses on Mental Health Action week (12-18 April) and we both want the emphasis […]
Continue reading
Erase your fears daily
Imagine we all adopted a daily routine of erasing our fears! This “giant, public and honest” expression made me think about what it means to feel worried and fearful. We are not aware of the way in which we think. Perhaps, we don’t realise when we worry too much. Two people can experience the same […]
Continue reading
Spring fever
At this time of year, there’s a little bit less depression, fewer nasty winter viruses, and of course lighter evenings and the promise of warmer weather…watch the video.
Continue reading Simple lessons change teens attitude
Teaching school children about common mental health problems can reduce prejudice and negative attitudes towards mental illness, according to a new study published in the April issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry. A group of researchers, led by Dr Paul Naylor of the University of Sheffield, found that teenagers who received just six lessons […]
Continue reading How does work affect your mental health?
Alain de Botton’s new book, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, is out today, which has got me thinking about work again. Mental health in the workplace, and particularly its relationship to our sense of self and personal happiness, has been of great interest to me ever since I suffered stress-related illness a few years […]
Continue reading
Mental health and sleeping rough
The government will fail to meet its target to eradicate rough sleeping by 2012 if it does not address mental health issues, charities have warned. London’s largest rough sleeper charity, St Mungo’s, said 35 per cent of the homeless people it supports have severe and enduring mental illnesses, and a survey of its hostels found […]
Continue reading Video your mindapples
Look! Lauren has filmed her friends’ five-a-days and turned it into a lovely video! Please send us your videos of you and your friends talking about what you do to stay mentally in shape. We’ll compile the best footage into a short video explaining the Mindapples idea and hopefully inspiring lots more people to do […]
Continue reading Mental Health services ‘shut’ to the elderly
One of the driving forces behind Mindapples is the reality that every single one of us has mental health. No matter our age, gender or background…. Older people are often denied access to the full range of mental health services available to younger adults, a watchdog has found. The research showed that older people were […]
Continue reading If only you knew
AN intiative to help local employers deal with stress and mental health issues in the workplace was launched yesterday. Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (SMHP), working in conjunction with Suffolk Chamber of Commerce and local businesses, is running a new project called Suffolk Business Minded aimed at promoting mental well-being in the workplace. The […]
Continue reading