A better deal for everyone’s mind!
Yesterday the ‘Every Mind Matters‘ campaign was launched by Public Health England and NHS England. NSUN was a member of the Content Delivery Group alongside Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health First Aid England, Mind, Rethink, Royal Foundation, Samaritans, Time to Change and What Works Wellbeing.
NSUN recognises that prevention is important, not just ‘fixing things’ when something goes wrong. We welcome any initiative that aims to equip individuals, organisations and communities with tools and resources to improve wellbeing and we hope it reaches many people
As a network we have a diverse membership that comprises of individuals with different views, experiences and knowledge. This includes many individuals for whom prevention didn’t happen due to individual circumstances and conditions within their communities.
As Mark Brown @MarkOneinFour said in a tweet earlier today ‘…it sometimes hurts to run into a prevention message when what you want is a practical support right now, not in a past you can’t return to’.
We know that relieving sleep problems, low mood, anxiety and stress will improve our mental health. However, often these are symptoms of existing mental health issues and more importantly life circumstances (see the NSUN Members’ Manifesto). Our reality check is that people are struggling with fewer community resources that in turn restricts our ability to self-manage and prevent distress. So, support from people who have gone through similar experiences, in similar circumstances can be invaluable. Peers recognise that in addition to prevention tools, we must be guaranteed services and support that is easily accessible, fair and responsive.
As a member of the Content Delivery Group we are confident that Every Mind Matters provides a well-researched and trusted resource in an expanding digital ‘wellbeing market’. This is a welcome tool founded on the principles of self-management.
Getting a better deal for our communities is a good start to increasing our ability to gain and maintain our wellbeing. Prevention is not the sole responsibility of the individual.
In short, we want a better deal for everyone’s mind!
Every Mind Matters – Public Health England Press Release
Public Health England launches ‘Every Mind Matters’, the first national NHS mental health campaign.
We don’t need to wait until we are struggling with our mental health; there are lots of things we can do to protect ourselves and prevent problems escalating, just as we do with our physical health.
The new Every Mind Matters campaign encourages adults to be more aware of their mental health and helps them to discover simple steps to look after their mental health and wellbeing.
Every Mind Matters offers a range of useful resources that help spot the signs of common mental health concerns, provides practical self-care tips and guidance and, importantly, explains when to seek further support.
It also has a free NHS-approved online tool on the Every Mind Matters website, which helps people build an action plan to deal with stress and anxiety, boost their mood, improve their sleep and help them feel more in control.
Visit the ‘Every Mind Matters’ website for more information
Every Mind Matters – NHS (www.nhs.uk)