All of us know someone who has experienced challenges with mental health.
Whether they have chosen to voice it or not, we all know someone.
One in 4 of us is that someone.
Many of us have grown up with certain assumptions or associations about mental health and there is a lot of misinformation out there.
This post will aim to give a general overview of mental health in the UK, including some resources for you to use for your own research and advice.
It has only be prevalent very recently for society to openly voice the importance of promoting mental health awareness, even though statistics show 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem in our lifetime.
It had forever been an invisible epidemic. In many ways, it still is.
We all should seek to be aware of how damaging - and in some cases, destructive – mental health disorders can be, not only those who suffer from them, but for their friends and family too
o Approximately only 1 in 8 adults with a mental health problem are currently getting any kind of treatment.
o Mental illness is the second-largest source of burden of disease in the UK. Mental illnesses are more common, long-lasting and impactful than other health conditions
However, these figures are realistically likely to be much higher as they exclude lots of groups in society such as hospitals, prisons sheltered housing and homeless people.
o Mental health is the leading cause of sickness absence in the workplace. 70 million work days are lost each year due to mental health problems in the UK
o 1 in 5 people take a day off due to stress. Yet, 90% of these people cited a different reason for their absence
o People with a long-term mental health condition lose their jobs every year at around double the rate of those without a mental health condition. This equates to 300,000 people – equivalent of the population of cities the size of Newcastle or Belfast
At Advancing Analytics, we strive to foster a culture in which everyone feels comfortable to come to work as their authentic selves. One of our company values is ‘Come as you are’ and we believe that the ability to be yourself is core to feeling comfortable to opening up to those around you.
Our “Zero Burnout” policy, whilst a common phrase banded around the corporate sphere, is a true reflection of the work culture at Advancing Analytics. We decorated doughnuts (virtually) together for an afternoon during a “de-stress” day, off-project time is encouraged (and sometimes enforced!) and we have daily optional companywide stand-ups and end of week wind-downs so everybody can touch base and look out for each other.
For this year’s Mental Health Awareness week, we are championing Rethink.
Rethink help tens of thousands of people affected by mental illness each year through their network of local groups and services, expert information and successful campaigning. Their vision is for equality, fair treatment and maximum quality of life for all those affected by mental illness and their wider goal is to transform at every level the way our nation approaches mental illness.
As well as promoting Mental Health Awareness Week, Rethink are digging deeper and looking at the stigma and discrimination which still exists around people severely affected by mental illness.
They recently ran a survey with people living with severe mental illness that revealed:
an overwhelming majority (88%) of people severely affected by mental illness report discrimination still widespread.
74% felt that levels of stigma towards people severely affected by mental illness have not improved in the last decade
They have created some great content to highlight these findings and to explain what it's like to live with severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizoaffective disorder and OCD.
To find out more about the work Rethink do and to get involved, check out their pages:
Website: https://www.rethink.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rethink_
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rethink-mental-illness
These are some smaller charities who are doing a great job and deserve a shout out and support for the work they are doing.
https://mac-uk.org/ - A community psychology project set up in 2012 that aims to influence social change
https://www.hummingbirdproject.org.uk/ -A Brighton based organisation specifically for refugees
https://youngminds.org.uk/ - For young people dealing with mental health challenges
If you need help or advice, please do reach out to someone in any way you feel able to.
If you feel unable to speak to friends or family, there are a number of charities you can contact.
o The Samaritans – Lines are open 24/7 - https://www.samaritans.org/
o Infoline by Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/helplines/
o SHOUT – A free and confidential 24/7 text messaging support -https://giveusashout.org/