Tag: mental health

£15 million to help young people’s mental health through the pandemic

Funding of £15 million is being made available to respond to children and young people’s mental health issues, with a focus on those  brought about by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The funding will be distributed to local authorities to support a local response for five to 24-year-olds, their families and carers.

Of this, £11.25 million will be for services in response to the pandemic, such as support for children who are struggling emotionally due to returning to school under new restrictions.

The remaining £3.75 million will be the first instalment of an annual £15 million fund to provide new and enhanced community mental health and wellbeing services. These new services will have a focus on prevention, early intervention and the treatment of distress.

Minister for Mental Health Clare Haughey said: “The pandemic has been very hard for everyone, but for many children and young people it has been particularly difficult.

“Families have told us they need more support for mental and emotional distress and for their wellbeing and resilience, delivered in a community setting. By providing funding to tackle the impacts of the pandemic, alongside a separate fund to provide long term mental health and wellbeing support, we aim to deliver help where it is needed.

“This funding is in addition to supporting the recruitment of an additional 80 mental health professionals to work with children and young people, and our recent announcement of a further £3.6 million to help provide more than 80 additional counsellors in every college and university in Scotland over the next four years. We are also ensuring that every secondary school will have access to a counsellor.”

COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “The wellbeing of our children and young people is of upmost importance to local authorities and has been a particular priority in recent months due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“This funding will allow local authorities to continue their work to support  young people’s mental health and wellbeing needs arising as a result of the pandemic, and to implement new and enhanced services, providing early support for children and young people experiencing wellbeing issues, and their families. These actions will help ensure the best outcomes for our children and young people in the short and longer term.”

Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland policy and public affairs manager, said: “We know that many children in Scotland have suffered difficult and traumatic experiences over the past few months.

“During lockdown, we saw a rise in contacts to Childline about mental and emotional health issues, with some children saying they had experienced suicidal thoughts. Our counsellors heard from children struggling with family relationships, sharing that arguments, increased parental stress levels and abusive home environments had impacted their mental health.

“So this investment by the Scottish Government to address these issues is crucial for the recovery of our younger generation. But it is important we also remember and support our very youngest and most vulnerable members of society, those under five, who cannot voice the impact the pandemic has had on their mental wellbeing.”

UK must not return to ‘broken’ mental health system after coronavirus is over, says Barnardo’s

The Government must use the coronavirus pandemic as a catalyst to fix the ‘broken’ children and young people’s mental health system so it works for each individual child.

This is the message from Barnardo’s, which says the lessons learned during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis must not be forgotten when it is, eventually, a distant memory.

It comes as young people who are supported by the UK’s leading children’s charity say they have had mixed experiences about the ways services have adapted during the pandemic.

This has included by embracing alternative therapies and the use of digital technology such as video calls to provide ongoing support to children.

Using technology has worked well for some children because they have more control over when and where they get support.

But others have found it difficult due to digital poverty, where they do not have a smartphone or internet access, which has put them at a considerable disadvantage.

Some have found it difficult to fully interact with professionals online, when they have been used to in-person, one-to-one support.

Barnardo’s says the Government has some good mental health policies, like the 0 to 25 promise in the NHS 10 year plan which will end the ‘cliff edge’ at 18, but it argues progress hasn’t been anywhere near fast enough and says young people simply cannot afford to wait.

It says the Government needs to learn lessons from the pandemic and must ensure that all the different ways a child can access support at the moment – whether that’s one-to-one support in person, through apps and video calls, alternative therapies, or a combination of all of these – are still available once the Covid-19 crisis is over.

Support needs to be tailored to the needs of the individual, rather than being a one-size fits all approach.

And it needs to ensure there is long term, sustainable funding for children’s mental health to rebuild the system from the ground up with children and young people at the heart.

One of the young people supported by Barnardo’s, and who has worked with the charity to ensure the views of her peers are heard, is Tia, from Plymouth. 

Tia said: “It’s vital that the Government listens to young people about our experiences of mental health services during the pandemic and involves us when looking at how they should operate in the post-Covid world.

“There cannot be a one size fits all solution. What is right for one child will not be right for another. While some have embraced alternative therapies and getting support online, others have struggled to access services.

“It’s important for us to have a say in helping shape services so they work for each individual.”

Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan said: “Even before the pandemic the system was failing too many children and young people with mental health needs. Instead of going back to a broken system, we need a radically new approach. 

“We need to identify and support children earlier, before they reach crisis point. We need to end the ‘cliff edge’ at 18, where help often drops off. And we need to make sure every child and young person can access the type of help that works for them – whether that’s digital, support in the community, alternative therapies, or traditional cognitive behaviour therapy. 

“This generation is facing a unique set of challenges, and improving their mental health and wellbeing is a vital step towards the positive future they deserve.” 

Mental health is at the heart of Barnardo’s work across all of its more than a thousand services across the UK.

It also supports more than 40,000 children, young people, parents and carers through its commissioned UK-wide mental health services – including 28,700 children through its school-based programmes aimed at improving emotional health and wellbeing. 

This mental health work is partly funded thanks to the generosity of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, who have raised over £4million for Barnardo’s so far.

Seven ways to control screen time and improve wellbeing

Overuse of technology and excessive screen time for Brits can be detrimental to physical and mental health, so here are seven ways to reduce screen time:

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the way Brits stay connected with friends, family and colleagues, as we have been kept physically apart.

We are all spending more time at home and staying connected virtually, but it can be hard not to have an entire day consumed by technology.

The experts at CE Safety have researched and revealed seven easy to action tips to help reduce screen time and improve Brits wellbeing.

CE Safety recommends undergoing small but effective day to day changes such as taking fewer pictures, switching electronics to grayscale, and having tech-free zones around the house like the bathroom.

Research has shown that low levels of happiness are associated with increased smartphone usage, and social media can contribute to feelings of loneliness.

Excessive technology and smartphone usage also negatively impacts sleep. With heightened anxiety and stress due to the coronavirus and lockdown, additional screen time will not help.

A spokesperson for CE Safety says: “Technology does solve many problems and can help with communicating with people. There is also an endless amount of information at our fingertips.

“But it can be distracting, time-consuming and addictive. Nomophobia is a real term to describe a growing fear in today’s world—the fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact.

“We think everyone should be more aware of their technology and smartphone usage, and look to make small changes to improve their screen time, and ultimately improve their wellbeing.”

Establish tech-free zones.

There are a few locations around the house that mobiles and laptops aren’t needed. From the dining room to the bathroom, try to keep your phone in your pocket. Our parents and grandparents survived just fine without taking a phone to the bathroom.

Switch to grayscale.

Laptops and smartphones allow you to turn your screen or display grey. As a result, this will remove all the attractive, eye-catching colours from your screen. Not only is it better for your eyesight but the visual appeal is also lost.

You can even schedule greyscale or ‘night mode’ across devices now to help soften the colours your eyes consume before bedtime.

Don’t take as many pictures.

Taking pictures with your smartphone has become second-nature. A birthday party, sporting event, and holidays are all picture worthy events and Brits tend to snap at every opportunity. But in an effort to reduce your screen time, try not to take as many photos and cherish the moment for what it is, rather than turning to a smartphone at the first opportunity.

Be aware of your screen time and set time limits

Ignorance is bliss, but in this case, we’d advise making the effort to track the time you actually spend staring at screens each day. There are plenty of tools and apps that will do this for you, and iPhones track your screen time automatically and tell you how many minutes you are spending on each app.

Many Brits might be surprised at just how long they spend glued to the screen. What else could you do with that time? Go for a run? Do some cooking? Read a book?

Don’t watch the TV in bed

Try and watch TV or films from your living room rather than in your bed. Watching from your couch makes it easier to stop watching that next episode on Netflix. You want as little blue light as possible before going to bed. Also, try and turn off the TV when you’re not actually watching it.

Don’t charge your phone in the bedroom

We advise not to charge your phone next to your bed as it might tempt you to check for messages. Looking at your phone’s screen just before bed has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns.

Get your news in one place

The internet provides us with a wealth of ways to access news. But trawling through social media and news headlines to make sense of the latest events can keep users glued to the device. Try and find a reliable news source you like, and stick to it.

Poll finds workers terrified of taking virus home

Two thirds of workers said their mental health has been harmed by the coronavirus crisis, a massive new survey by GMB has found.

In the poll of 13,500 public and private sector workers – thought to be the biggest of its kind during the pandemic – 66 per cent of respondents said that their work during the outbreak has had a serious negative impact on their mental health.

Other findings from the survey, released on World Mental Health Day, include:

  • 61 per cent of workers say their job is causing them stress or is otherwise impacting on their mental health.
  • Fear of taking the coronavirus home was the frequently cited cause of stress at work (by 36 per cent of respondents), followed by workers’ fear for their own safety (by 30 per cent).
  • Front-line workers report being 70 per cent more anxious on average than official estimates for the whole population before the pandemic struck.
  • Workers in retail, schools, outsourced services, and care report experiencing the highest levels of anxiety.

GMB is campaigning for a ‘Mental Health at Work Act ‘specifying the approach and methods expected of all employers in managing mental health in the workplace.

If successful, the legislation would require absences due to poor mental health to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive on the same basis as physical injuries.

Nell Andrew, GMB National Equality and Inclusion Officer, said: “Shockingly, almost one in five adults have experienced some form of depression during the pandemic – almost doubling from before the crisis.

“These stark results show it’s not just workers’ physical health that’s being impacted by covid – but their mental health and well-being is too. And that’s a massive problem for everyone.

“Much more needs to be done to prevent poor mental health in the workplace, during the pandemic and beyond.

“We urgently need full mental health risk assessments to become the norm, because protecting workers’ mental health is just as vital as protecting physical health.

“As we face a second wave and widespread redundancies, we desperately need to protect at-risk industries and fully fund the public services that defend the mental health and wellbeing of the heroic workers who have keep the economy and society together.”

World Mental Health Day: Lockdown spurs 61% increase in mental health prescriptions

– Number rises to 92 per cent for people aged 20-29 –

– Highest level of medication for mental health dispensed in June –

The UK’s biggest online pharmacy has revealed a 61 per cent rise in the number of NHS prescriptions it has dispensed for medication intended to treat mental health conditions since lockdown began. This number is produced when comparing repeat prescriptions dispensed from March to July 2020 with the same period last year.

The data comes as Pharmacy2U reveals the latest trends in its dispensing data, focusing on prescriptions for mental health conditions.

It also reveals that the highest level of items dispensed came three months into lockdown, with week commencing 1st June seeing over 185,000 medicines delivered to people’s homes as lockdown measures began to ease.

There was a 92 per cent increase in mental health medication dispensed to 20-29 year-olds between March – July this year compared with 2019, followed by a 70 per cent increase to those aged 70-79.

In its role as a national provider of vital NHS services, Pharmacy2U monitors trends and works with the NHS and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in the interests of improving NHS provision, reducing medicines waste, and supporting the appropriate prescribing and dispensing of medications across the country.

Since the beginning of March, the South West saw the highest percentage increase (90 per cent) for items intended for mental health issues compared with last year, followed by the South East (67 per cent increase) and the East of England (59 per cent increase). Greater London saw orders up 54 per cent on the same period in 2019.

Data from Pharmacy2U revealed that it has dispensed over 4.6 million items of medication and saved over 2 Million trips outside for potentially vulnerable people since March, helping hundreds of thousands of people get vital medicines and helping to ease the strain on the NHS and frontline services.

Phil Day, Superintendent Pharmacist at Pharmacy2U comments: “The last few months have been unlike anything we’ve ever experienced in our lifetime, and it has been particularly challenging and worrying for the most vulnerable who still need access to their repeat medicines to manage ongoing conditions. 

“With the prescribing of mental health medications under the microscope at a national level, our responsibility to patients and the NHS is at the heart of all we do. All medication we dispense is requested by the patient and approved by the patients’ GP, who we work with closely to identify any over or under prescribing.

“This helps our patients keep the right amount of medication for their needs, and improves their adherence to their courses of treatment, whilst also preventing over-prescribing and the associated increased costs to the NHS.

“Our state-of-the-art dispensing facility uses the latest technology and industry leading clinical accuracy measures, to help hundreds of thousands of people in need get their medicines safely and, in some part, ease the strain on our partners and friends in the NHS and frontline services.”

For more information please contact the Pharmacy2U press office at pharmacy2u@theacademypr.com.

Held in Our Hearts charity marks Baby Loss Awareness Week

October 9-15th is a very important week in the work of Held In Our Hearts. This is Baby Loss Awareness Week #BLAW and every day the charity will be sharing stories/ videos and podcasts of families and their own experience of loss.

From the workplace to home the families will share about how they have been supported by the charity and how you can get involved. The event will end on 15th at 7pm with a wave of light that will be shared by many.

You can get involved by sharing  as much as you can.

14 babies a day die in the UK and as a charity we want to make sure that all families get support. Charities have been adversely affected by the pandemic but we want to make sure that no one sits in silence.

Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health

You’re not alone with your mental health. We’re here to help you.

This is the clear message coming from NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance service as they launch a new campaign to support mental health and wellbeing for people across Scotland in time for World Mental Health Day on 10 October 2020.

The Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health campaign aims to raise awareness of a range of mental health information and services that support mental health.

It’s been developed to support wider partnership working between NHS 24, Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance service as part of a joint response to the Scottish Government Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027.

Over the past 18 months, the three organisations have been working together to develop new ways to support people in mental health distress when they contact their services.

NHS 24 has created a new 24/7 Mental Health Hub that provides support for those contacting the 111 service. In addition, people calling Police Scotland in mental health distress are also now offered access to the 111 Mental Health Hub service. Collaboration work with Scottish Ambulance Service is also underway to develop a similar pathway.

Under the banner ‘Together Let’s Care for your Mental Health’ the partners are able to signpost to a range of self-help guides and options for further support at www.nhsinform.scot/youmatterwecare.

This campaign page also offers additional information for a range of day to day concerns such as anxiety, depression, young people’s mental health needs, alcohol, gambling and drug use.

NHS 24 offers a range of mental health services in addition to the 111 Mental Health Hub, including Breathing Space’s telephony and web chat services, NHS inform self-help guides, and Living Life’s CBT service.

Stephanie Philips, Director of Service Delivery at NHS 24, said: “We are pleased to be working together with Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service to provide the best possible outcomes for people in mental health distress.

“We are able to support many of those who come into contact with our services to find support and self-care options in their own communities but we are also absolutely reinforcing the message that if you need help now there are a range of services available to you.

“We really want people in mental health distress to know that they are not alone. Our team are here to help those getting in touch with our services with a compassionate response.”

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey said: “I doubt there is a single one of us who has not thought about our own mental health and wellbeing at some point over the past few months.

“In many ways, the pandemic has helped to destigmatise mental health, and reminded us that it is okay not to feel okay. More people have been asking each other how they are doing and the importance of good mental health is clear.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have invested £6 million of additional funding to support the population’s mental health, including £2.1 million to expand the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub so that it is now available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Round the clock, trained practitioners at NHS 24 will offer callers a compassionate and empathic listening service based on the principles of psychological first aid, as well as advice, signposting and onward referral to local services if required.”

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie (Partnerships, Prevention and Community Wellbeing) said: “Protecting vulnerable people is a priority for Police Scotland as part of our statutory requirement to improve the safety and wellbeing of people, places and communities.

“Much of the demand on the organisation now comes from incidents which no longer result in a crime report being raised, such as people in distress or experiencing a mental health crisis. Calls of this nature can come to the police from concerned family and friends, passers-by, and other agencies, as well as individuals themselves.

“Police Scotland has recently completed the national roll-out of a new way of assessing calls to its 101 and 999 service to improve the way we respond to contact from the public.

“Where appropriate, we engage in partnerships with colleagues around the country in health, social care and third sector organisations to help people to access the most suitable support at the appropriate time.”

Frances Dodd, Director for Care Quality and Professional Development for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners in NHS 24 and Police Scotland on ‘Together Let’s Care’.

“Integrated working across services on issues like mental health means we can deliver a joined up approach to supporting patients and working together to deliver improved care for those suffering mental health across Scotland.

“The ‘Together Let’s Care’ campaign is designed to assist patients to access the right mental health services first time, and allow health professionals, Police and community-based staff to further enhance the support and services currently in place. 

“This campaign increases signposting to a wide variety of self-help guides with the aim to support clinicians improve mental health outcomes by increasing access to specialists and services within local communities.

“It’s so important for all of us to be mindful of our mental health and wellbeing, address mental health issues early and seek help if needed. This service is one part of the system that will ensure we as a community can help identify and address mental health issues early, enabling people to find pathways to healthy, productive and fulfilling lives.”

Mental health support for COVID-19 patients

National network to ensure long-term recovery

People who have been hospitalised with coronavirus (COVID-19) will have access to a new national peer support network to help their recovery and rehabilitation.

Backed by almost £200,000 Scottish Government funding, the charity ICU Steps will connect ICU survivors and their families across Scotland to facilitate patient-led support groups, as well as offering a range of wellbeing resources to help with recovery.

It follows the publication of a report showing up to one-third of patients admitted to hospital developed serious mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive problems.

In addition to the expansion of peer support, the report, produced by psychiatrist Dr Nadine Cossette, made a number of other recommendations which will be taken forward, through consultation with health boards. These include a network of mental health clinicians across Scotland, and a personalised digital platform.

Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey (above) said: “We know that treatment in Intensive Care and High Dependency Units can be particularly difficult for patients. This has been exacerbated in recent times by the fact that families have not been able to visit their loved ones.

“Most will go on to make a full recovery, but for others there is a higher risk of developing mental health issues.

“We welcome the report by Dr Nadine Cossette which sets out a number of actions to improve mental health and wellbeing of patients.  The creation of a national peer support network, led by patients, will be a significant first step to ensuring that services supporting those who have been affected are well placed to respond.

“We will now consult with health boards on how best to implement these proposals locally to ensure that people have the right support throughout their recovery from COVID-19.”

Dr Nadine Cossette said: “Mental health care is crucially important to patients recovering from COVID-19. I am pleased the Scottish Government has recognised this and I look forward to ensuring patients and families across Scotland have access to good mental health care that is well integrated with physical health recovery services.”

Chair of ICU Steps George Guy said: “As an ICU survivor myself I am well aware of the physical and mental problems that patients can be left with. ICU Steps gives survivors the chance to talk to others who have gone through what they have and we have found this to be very helpful.

“We offer empathy not sympathy. I’d like to thank Dr Pam Ramsay of Dundee University, Dr Stephen Cole NHS Tayside and Chair of Scottish Intensive Care Society, and Peter Gibb, CEO and founder of ICU Steps, for their invaluable help with this project.”

You can read the report here

Mental health “perfect storm” will affect millions this Winter

A “perfect storm” of mental health stresses is being created with lockdowns, economic anxiety, enforced social distancing, poor weather and isolation – meaning millions of home workers will suffer in silence this Winter.

The UK is possibly facing its biggest ever mental health crisis since the WWII this Winter as a combination of many factors will contribute to the low mood and poor mental health of millions of employees working from home.

According to the ONS (Office of National Statistics) 69% of adults in the UK are staying that Coronavirus is having a negative effect on their life and the drill down statistics are even worse:

  • 63% are worrying about the future
  • 56% are feeling stressed or anxious
  • 49% are bored

“The worrying thing is everyone is in the same boat – we are so busy fighting our own fires – many of us don’t have the time or energy to help others”, says Jonathan Ratcliffe from office company Offices.co.uk.

“People are having a rotten time of it at the moment, and this Winter will be a real crunch point for many”.

Critical stress factors this Winter include:

Lockdowns – working from home and seeing less family/friends mean increasingly isolated lives

Uncertainty – Worries over employment and the economy creating a feeling of anxiousness

Poor Weather – Less daylight, poor weather means less opportunity to leave the house for fresh air and exercise

“The big worry for myself and my colleagues is either a new National lockdown, or the schools will close, because this will tip the balance for many people working from home and just managing to keep things on an even keel”, says Jonathan Ratcliffe

Offices.co.uk offers these general pointers to those working from home and feeling the pressure:

Routine – it’s vital if you want to be motivated that you set a routine. Make sure you get up at a decent time and start work at 9am.

To do list – Start by writing a small list of work to achieve, lower your expectations and work towards ticking all those goals even if they are small.

Talk to someone – If you have a work buddy, you’d usually chew the fat with, why change? Give them a call, maybe first thing – helps you both realise you are not alone.

Food and drink – Make sure you eat properly and stay hydrated throughout the day.

Fresh air – At lunch time take a walk or sit outside, put your phone down, look around and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Finish at 5 – Don’t be tempted to work into the evening, try and finish up around the same time as you would normally.

Put the phone down – After “work” is over, try to forget about it. Enjoy time with a partner or family.

Wine O’clock – It’s tempting to hit the wine each night, we’re under stress. But you didn’t booze like this before, time to reduce intake and get a good sleep.

Sleep – Decent bedtime and try and get 8 hours solid sleep if possible.

Plan for the other side – This will end, we simply don’t know when yet, and when it does you need to be in the best shape possible to seize any opportunities. Get planning!

“Bosses need to be very aware that their remote staff might be struggling, and while they have their own pressures, they need to reach out and monitor staff daily to make sure any issues can be addressed – being sensitive and caring is upmost for employers this Winter period”, concludes Jonathan Ratcliffe from Offices.co.uk

Heart Research UK Healthy tip: Managing stress

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK

Watch your stress levels

We all experience stress from time to time. There are many things that can lead to us feeling stressed. It can come from the news, our jobs, financial insecurity, health issues and personal problems. Feeling constantly stressed and overwhelmed can lead to a rise in blood pressure and resting heart rate, both of which increase our risk of having a heart attack.

We have some tips to help you avoid unnecessary stress and deal with existing stress in a healthy way: 

What is stress?

Stress is essentially when we feel threatened or under pressure and our bodies are preparing to either fight or run away from our current situation. This so-called ‘fight or flight’ response should only occur on rare occasions and it is useful for getting us out of dangerous situations. For many people stress can be more long term and persistent and this can have a negative impact on our mental and physical health.

Avoid consuming too much news

Whilst it may be important for us to stay up to date with current affairs, a constant stream of negative news reports can be a source of stress and anxiety. The World Health Organization recommends that we watch, read or listen to the news to just once or twice a day for short periods. Why not schedule a daily timeslot when you will allow yourself to check the news (e.g. 7:00 pm – 7:30 pm).

Walk your way to a healthy heart

Not only is regular physical activity good for our heart health, but it can also alleviate stress. It is recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity each week, such as brisk walking. When we feel stressed, we may tell ourselves we are too busy to exercise. However, physical activity does not have to be a time-consuming chore.

Incorporating small changes to increase our daily steps can improve our overall mental and physical health. You could start by making small changes, such as parking at the furthest point away from the shop entrance in the car park, getting off the bus a stop early, or leaving your office during your lunch break to take a walk.

Breathing and meditation

Just breathe. Despite the growing attention that meditation and breathing exercises is getting, it is still one of the most underrated things you can do to ease your stress levels and lower your blood pressure. To do this all you need is 10 minutes of your day to sit and do absolutely nothing but concentrate on your breathing.

Meditation is one of the simplest and cheapest ways of reducing your stress levels and blood pressure, and there are many free guided meditation resources online to teach you how to do it.

Ask for help

Sometimes stress can feel overwhelming and you may need a little help to manage it. Try speaking to a friend, family member or a work colleague about how you feel. If you think you would benefit from professional help, you can speak to your GP.

You can find more healthy tips, recipes and advice at heartresearch.org.uk.