New campaign launched to support people’s mental health
Public Health England has launched its first mental health campaign, Every Mind Matters, as a regional pilot in the East and West Midlands.
New research conducted shows nearly three quarters (71%) of people in the Midlands report experiencing one or more of low mood, anxiety, stress and trouble sleeping frequently or occasionally*. The Every Mind Matters campaign aims to improve our understanding of mental health and highlight that looking after mental health is as important as looking after physical health. And, as with our bodies, there is always something we can do to look after our minds.
The campaign encourages adults to be more aware of their own mental health and of others by providing them with information and resources. It highlights that while we all have moment where we can feel stressed, anxious, low or have trouble sleeping, there are simple actions we can take to manage these feelings and prevent these issues from becoming more serious.
We don’t need to wait until we are struggling to take steps to look after our mental health - there are lots of things we can do to protect ourselves and prevent issues escalating. A newly curated free, NHS approved resource ‘Every Mind Matters Guide’, is now available on the PHE One You Website and is available in three different formats; an interactive video tool, a downloadable MP3 audiobook and an e-book. The ‘Every Mind Matters Guide’ provides expert-led introductions on the most common mental health problems, introduces how-to’ exercises to improve mental wellbeing and features personal accounts, showing that there is always something we can do to look after our mental health.
The website also features an ‘Action Plan’ function which rounds up all the key advice into easy, bite-sized steps to help people keep on top of their mental health. It can be personalised, downloaded and used as an ongoing support tool.
Looking after our mental health is not only good for us now, it can also help us deal with and manage difficult times in the future as well as help us feel better, sleep better and help to us have more positive relationships.
To learn more about how to look after your mental health and create your own Action Plan, visit: www.nhs.uk/oneyou/Every-Mind-Matters
(*Opinion survey for Public Health England of 2,050 people living in the East and West Midlands. September 2018)
