Research this year by the Centre for Mental Health, a thinktank, suggests that 8 million British adults and 1.5 million children will need mental health support in the next 10 years as a direct result of the pandemic. Office for National Statistics data already shows rates of depression doubling since the pandemic began, but it isn’t being evenly felt, says Leila Reyburn of mental health charity Mind. “The people who’ve been impacted the most and are continuing to feel that impact are people who had pre-existing mental health problems, people of colour, those living in deprivation and young people.”
“In the UK, we have a system based on late intervention and crisis response,” says Andy Bell from the Centre for Mental Health. “Only a third of people with common mental health problems get support. We don’t offer it quickly and we tend to wait until people’s needs are so severe that they need specialised treatment.”
Early intervention projects do exist in the UK, but they’re few and far between. A coalition of charities, including the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Mind, YoungMinds and the Children’s Society, is currently trying to push government to “Fund the Hubs’’ and create a network of informal community support centres for children and young people, to which they can self-refer. One such hub, the Nest, is already up and running in the London borough of Southwark – and 78% of its users say their wellbeing has improved. (Extracts taken from ‘Life after lockdown: how do we best recover from the pandemic?’, Rebecca Seal, The Guardian Online)
Mental Well-being can also be improved through a number of other ways, these examples include (but not limited to):
Physical Activity – The Mental Health Foundation have said “Physical activity has a huge potential to enhance our wellbeing. Even a short burst of 10 minutes’ brisk walking increases our mental alertness, energy and positive mood.” (https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/publications/how-look-after-your-mental-health-using-exercise)
Participation in regular physical activity can increase our self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety. It also plays a role in preventing the development of mental health problems and in improving the quality of life of people experiencing mental health problems.
Sleep – Ensure that your body gets a proper night’s rest, consistency is key, changing sleep patterns can affect the quality of sleep that you get. Adults generally need 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep, whilst children and teenagers normally require more sleep.
Diet – When suffering from mental health issues many people’s eating habits tend to change, this can lead to overeating or not eating at all. However, it is extremely important to maintain a balanced diet, to eat and drink at regular intervals so that you body has the energy that it needs to get through the day to day tasks but also to increase general well-being.
Social – During the pandemic people were separated from loved ones and friends, this has obviously had an impact on the increase of mental health issues amongst young people and adults in the UK (and across the world). Positive connections are important to increase and maintain our mental well-being. Reach out to those around you who lift you up. You can also increase your mental well-being by supporting others, volunteering in your local community (where time and resource permits).
Enjoy the Little Things – One of the most overlooked ways on increasing one’s mental well-being is to take some time out every day for yourself. Whether that be to read your favourite book/magazine, watching your favourite TV programme, going for a walk in nature, spending time with pets, or playing a game with family or friends. Just something to uplift and energise the mind and body.
The above ideas are just some of the ways in which to improve your mental well-being. However, if your symptoms continue, or you feel hopeless or suicidal, please call your GP immediately or call The Samaritans on 116 123.