Supporting Mental Health Awareness Week 15-21 May 2023

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 theme is anxiety, which has become one of the most talked about topics in mental health. While it’s good that anxiety is getting more attention, many myths and confusion surround the topic, and the Mental Health Foundation is using this week to provide a better understanding of what anxiety is and how we can help ourselves and others when it becomes a problem.
 
It's important to remember that feelings of anxiety - including unease, worry or apprehension - are natural and important human responses to stress, helping us react quickly to potential threats. Anxiety becomes problematic if it’s persistent over a long period and stops us from doing things we want or need to do. During the pandemic, anxiety levels increased among the population and have not yet dropped to pre-pandemic levels.
 
In March 2023, the Mental Health Foundation, working with Opinium, conducted an online survey of 6,000 18+ adults, finding that 73% had felt anxious at least sometimes in the previous two weeks, and one in five felt anxious most or all of the time. Nearly all the young people (86%), aged 18 - 24 years, had felt anxious in the previous two weeks and over half had stopped undertaking day-to-day activities. Unsurprisingly, the most commonly reported cause of anxiety is being able to afford to pay bills, particularly among 35 - 64 years old, due to the cost of living crisis.
 
We take the subject of mental health and the wellbeing of our staff very seriously and are always here to provide help and support when required. To ensure this, two staff members, Rachel Karn and Caroline Mooney, are Mental Health First Aiders and are always on hand for the benefit of our employees, should they need it.
 
We have also rolled out the R;pple initiative within our organisation. This interceptive software tool is designed to intervene when people are at their most vulnerable and searching for harmful material on the internet, providing hope and mental health resources they can utilise. To find out more about R;pple and to download and install the software programme, please click here.
 
We encourage frontline workers to receive training so they know how to respond effectively to the mental health effects of financial stress and strain. We’d also encourage anyone experiencing feelings of anxiety to get active, try and sleep more and connect with friends and family, rather than turn to unhealthy coping strategies, such as increased consumption of alcohol and smoking. There are a number of useful suggestions (click here).