Blog by Jason
Brandon on World Mental Health Day
Just when you thought it was safe...
I’m sure it’s not just me who is struggling to keep up with pace
of national and international developments in the world at the
moment. I know I would feel a little more at ease if some of the
news items appearing in my social media feed were foreseeable
although, unfortunately, much of what I read or hear is
thoroughly unpredictable and often quite disturbing.
As someone who is now carefully more active on Twitter, I have
come to realise what it means to ‘doom-scroll’, especially during
any downtime. New research commissioned by the Office for Health
Improvement and Disparities( OHID reveals almost seven in 10
people in the UK report regularly experiencing the ‘Sunday
Scaries’.
That’s partly why they have launched the latest phase of
their Better Health – Every Mind
Matters campaign. By answering five simple questions on the
dedicated website, personalised ‘Mind Plans’ are created,
providing pointers on dealing better with stress, anxiety, mood
swings and how to feel more in control.
It’s well timed. I am readily informed about the impacts of the
cost-of-living crisis, the ‘real time’ debates in our political
environment, minute by minute updates on succession arrangements
for the monarchy, the conflict in Ukraine and the many not so
existential threats to our existence, like spaceships smashing
into asteroids to prevent them becoming ELEs (extinction level
events). As I mentioned earlier, unpredictable, and not
ideal for my emotional wellbeing.
World Mental Health Day is here
So, in the midst of all this uncertainty, I feel some reassurance
when I see the calendar flip to October 10 2022 and another
World Mental Health
Daybegins. This annual opportunity to prioritise our
psychological wellbeing feels more essential than ever.
This year’s theme is a simple but pertinent one: 'Make mental health and
wellbeing for all a global priority'. Our shared experiences
of the last two and a half years make the reason for this focus
blisteringly self-evident.
For many years, as a social work professional, I witnessed and
experienced the struggle to achieve an equal level of recognition
and social justice for people needing mental health support, in
comparison to those with a physical need.
And yet, during the recent trauma of a global pandemic, we were
awakened to the collective ‘new normal’ of looking out for each
other in our respective communities and became even more expert
in managing own emotional wellbeing and that of others.
Of course, we also witnessed the tragedy of people who weren’t
able to access necessary care and support when living in
isolation. Pandemic emergency planning caused us to take a fresh
approach to social inclusion and the impact on both physical and
mental health.
The excellent Centre for Mental Health recently published
Honouring our stories of the
Pandemic, providing a powerful insight into the everyday
lives of people coping with difficult times. A variety of
experiences and concerns are referred to including anxiety,
loneliness, racism, resilience, addiction, relationships,
discrimination, grief and loss to name but a few.
Support in and out of the workplace
Of course the impact on people’s careers and employment potential
took a hit too, so it is gratifying to see the Department for
Work and Pensions announce £122 million of NHS
funding to provide mental health support alongside employment
advice to help more people stay in work or return to the job
market quicker.
I’m sure we will gain many more insights from the COVID enquiry, which
got underway this month, but there is already much we have
learned, which we can carry forward when considering the
wellbeing of our communities on a local, national and
international scale in the future.
Social work remains critical to supporting people with their
mental health. It no longer remains the perceived exclusive
specialism of clinical professionals. All social workers need to
be equipped to identify and understand the social determinants of
mental health and emotional wellbeing in whichever area of
practice they operate. World Mental Health Day is another chance
to demonstrate what we have to offer and what we can do to help
others live fuller, happier and heathier lives – in mind as
well as body.
