Nurseplus support Mental Health Awareness Week (13th-19th May 2019)

Mental Health Awareness Week (13th-19th May 2019) is organised by the Mental Health Foundation, the UK’s charity for everyone’s mental health.

Information produced by the Mental Health Foundation -

• 1 in 6 people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem

• On average around 16 people end their own lives every day – approx. 1 person every 2 hours

This year for Mental Health Awareness Week, the focus is on body image – how we think and feel about our bodies. With an increase in the use of social media, photoshoot and filters it is no wonder body image has become a high cause for concern with regards to mental health, especially in the younger generation.

Unrealistic expectation, new ways to mentally abuse or ridicule and such a strong focus on having the ‘ideal’ look have seen an influx of self-image related mental health issue, from celebrity surgery to the promotion of diet fads everyone is after a quick fix to change the way they look.

Throughout Mental Health week the Mental Health Foundation will explore the changes needed in our cultural values, parenting styles, schooling approaches, use of technology, advertising standards and reducing discrimination that will make a real difference.  

The Mental Health charity Mind has excellent information and support on how to support someone with a mental health problem, from anxiety and panic attacks to self-harm, if you have a friend or family member there are ways you can help them get the support they need.

How Nurseplus support Mental Health

At Nurseplus, we are passionate about ending the stigma against mental health. We care about ensuring that those with mental health illnesses get the very best care and support, regardless of age or gender, and try to turn the negative feelings and thoughts that are often associated with mental health, into positive ones. Our dedicated and trustworthy support staff can help those struggling in the community or in specialist establishments.

Mental Health is part of our induction training which all staff complete, this covers various types of mental health and how to spot the signs.

At Nurseplus we have a specialist Mental Health Services team which has over 20 years healthcare experience within specialist areas such as forensic, PICU, Learning Disabilities and Older Adults Inpatient Services both within the NHS and the private sector.  Nurseplus Mental Health services, highly skilled and specialist registered mental health nurses are able to work in various settings, such as: Crisis Team, Forensic services, Personality Disorder, Community Mental Health Teams, Early Intervention, Drugs and Alcohol, CAMHS, Eating Disorder, Learning Disabilities, Recovery and rehabilitation, Secure units, Custodial Services, Prison, Mother and Baby units and Patient Transfers.

Support available

Mental Health problems affect more people than you realise. According to Mind, “good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in ways that you need and want to live your life.” If you or someone you know is suffering from poor mental health, it is important to get help early on.

There is a wide range of support networks across the country for people wanting to find out more information, including:

Mental Health Foundation – read through their publications on various How to guides for additional support.

Mind 

Time to Change 

To find out more about how you can get involved in this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, visit Mental Health Foundation.