Mental Health Awareness Week: advice on hand to help people ‘Thrive not just Survive’
“Good mental health is more than the absence of a mental health problem.”
Surviving or Thriving?
Health and well-being organisations across Shropshire are hosting a series of events and putting out social media messages to offer people ideas on what they could to look after their mental health.
The events form part of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (Monday 8 May – Sunday 14 May 2017), a national campaign supported by the Mental Health Foundation.
This year’s theme is “Surviving or Thriving?”, and has been chosen to highlight that good mental health is more than just the absence of a mental health problem. The campaign is designed to make us think about why too few of us are living with good mental health. It seems that a lot of people are struggling to cope with the demands of life.
Shropshire Libraries will be highlighting the Reading Well book collections – self-help books chosen by health professionals, covering common mental health conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, eating disorders and self-harm for adults and young people.
Events across the county include:
Monday 8 May
Bridgnorth Library from 1.30pm to 2.30pm – relaxation taster sessions http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/library-events/bridgnorth-library-relaxation-taster-session/
Ellesmere Library – 2pm to 3pm – Time to Listen http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/library-events/ellesmere-library-time-to-listen/
Thursday 11 May
Whitchurch Library – 12pm midday to 2pm – Drop in session with Liz Castle from local holistic healthcare centre Healing Thyme. http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/library-events/whitchurch-library-supporting-mental-health-awareness-week/
Monday 15 May
Bridgnorth Library – 11am to 12pm midday – Yoga and relaxation session http://new.shropshire.gov.uk/libraries/library-events/bridgnorth-library-yoga-and-relaxation-session/
Thursday 18 May
The Lantern, Shrewsbury – 11.30am to 2pm – Mental health social work event. Come and meet Shropshire’s mental health social work team. The team work in partnership with South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (SSSFT). Visitors will get a chance to see how the social work team will be providing services across the county. Professionals and people who use or are interested in mental health services will be able to chat to the teams. Refreshments and cakes will be available.
Throughout the week SSSFT will be also be promoting their self-help guidance via social media. For more information visit http://www.selfhelpguides.ntw.nhs.uk/sssft/SelfHelp
Shropshire’s mental health services is also appearing in Shropshire Healthwatch’s ‘Hot Topic’ for May and June. The independent health and social care champion is asking residents to tell them their experiences around accessing and using mental health services across Shropshire. People can express their views by calling 01743 237884, by email enquiries@healthwatchshropshire.co.uk or online at www.healthwatchshropshire.co.uk.
Mental health is one of the key priorities for Shropshire’s Health and Well-Being Board, which comprises of health and social care partners from Shropshire Council, Clinical Commissioning Group, NHS and the voluntary and community sector.
Andy Begley, Shropshire Council’s director of adult services and housing, and member of Shropshire’s Health and Well-Being Board, said:
“Instead of focusing on why so many people are living with mental health problems, this year the campaign highlights why so few of us are thriving with good mental health.
“Our mental well-being can be affected by a range of factors in our daily lives. These events will offer you simple ideas on what steps you might take to look after your mental health, helping you build resilience to cope with the demands of life.”
How you can support the campaign
Join the Thunderclap on social media to pledge your support to raising the awareness and importance of mental health.
Use the hashtag #MHAW17 to join the discussion on social media about mental health and share your plans for the week
For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week.
For information about mental health services in Shropshire visit www.sssft.nhs.uk
Further information
Healthwatch Shropshire is the independent health and social care champion for people in Shropshire. It gathers the views and experiences of patients,carers, and the general public about services, including hospitals, GPs, mental health services, community health services, pharmacists, opticians, residential care and home care services. It then makes reports and recommendations about how these services could or ought to be improved based on the information received from members of the public. All feedback is anonymised and is shared with providers and commissioners of services who have a statutory duty to listen to Healthwatch and act on the information it shares with them.
