Research by the charity Mind has found that 60% of adults and 68% of young people said their mental health worsened during the coronavirus lockdown. However, making small positive changes can have a big impact on people’s wellbeing.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "This year has been a tough one for all of us because of coronavirus.
“The months of lockdown have had a huge impact on our mental health. For many people, existing mental health problems have become worse, while others have developed new ones.
"That’s why prioritising good mental health has never been more important. Making positive changes can seem so hard but now, more than ever, it's vital that we do all we can to improve our own mental health, and that of others.
"So whether it's going for a walk, learning a new skill or doing something creative, taking the first steps to getting support for yourself or reaching out to someone else, please #DoOneThing to help this World Mental Health Day."
Dr Mark Weaver, Chief Medical Officer at Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We know the last few months have had an incredible impact on people’s mental health. Help is available and we want to use World Mental Health Day to encourage people to talk to someone if they feel their mood has changed or if they are finding things difficult.
“There’s a lot of support available from online mood courses to specialist one to one support. You can self refer to Wolverhampton Healthy Minds or alternatively speak to your GP. It is always better to get help earlier on, so if you want to ease the load – talk to someone.”
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust will be hosting a free webinar on Friday (9 October) from 1pm to 2.30pm where you can find out more about support available and take a journey through mental health services. To sign up, please email bchft.communications@nhs.net.
The new NHS mental health crisis helpline run by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides advice, support and signposting 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to people of all ages. Call 0800 008 6516.
If you are having a difficult time or if you are worried about someone else, The Samaritans are there to listen. Visit Samaritans, call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org for support.
The charity Rethink runs a Black Country freephone service for those in need of support, reassurance and understanding – call 0808 802 2208 (Monday to Friday, 6pm to 3am, Saturday and Sunday 2pm to 3am). For more information, please visit Rethink.
If you are experiencing stress, feelings of anxiety or low mood, visit Mental health and wellbeing for self assessment, audio guides and other practical tools. The Every Mind Matters campaign, also provides simple tips and advice to start taking better care of your mental health.
World Mental Health Day takes place on Saturday (10 October, 2020). For more information about Mind's #DoOneThing campaign, please visit Mind's #DoOneThing.
