Blog

Investing in our mental health is just as important as staying well physically. Talking to someone professionally, or receiving therapeutic support can help improve our thinking, behaviour, emotions and mood. With an abundance of types of therapy out there, it can be difficult to know where to begin.

Tina* works for our corporate partner Lloyds Banking Group and recently attended a workshop for parents and carers run by Bloom. Bloom is our young people’s programme which supports 14-18 year olds to build resilience and protect their mental wellbeing. Here Tina talks about how the workshop helped her and her daughters become more open about their mental health.

Mental Health UK responds to American gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

As Covid-19 restrictions are being relaxed across the UK in varying degrees, we know it’s a time of excitement and opportunity for some people. For others, these changes can cause stress and worry, with re-adjustment being difficult for our mental health. Regardless of how you view the easing of lockdown, we’re still living through a period of high stress and uncertainty, so building or maintaining a healthy lifestyle is key.

In 2018, Ollie experienced a relapse of depression and OCD. This year, he entered fatherhood during the height of the lockdown. Ollie tells us how he’s found it adjusting to this big lifestyle transition, and how he’s tried to look after his mental health throughout it.

Mark Williams is a keynote speaker, author and international campaigner, as well as a good friend of our founding charity, Adferiad Recovery. He provides perinatal mental health training to new parents and parent-to-be, to help ensure that all families are supported during the perinatal period, which is often a challenging time. Below Mark shares his personal story about his own mental health battle, the stigma he faced as a man, and how he ended up campaigning for change for other men and dads.

One of our founding partners, Rethink Mental Illness, provides the Advice and Information Service (RAIS) – a helpline that offers practical help with a range of topics, as well as advising people affected by mental illness of their rights, helping them identify their options and empowering them to take action. Supporting the small team of staff (Advice and Information Officers) who run the service, is a large team of volunteers who equip people with the information they need to get the right help. Together, the RAIS volunteers and staff make an invaluable contribution to the service.

Mental Health UK responds to Naomi Osaka’s decision to withdraw from the French Open due to her mental health and experiences of depression.

Staff across the UK will come together to raise vital funds for us over the next two years to help us reach even more people affected by poor mental health.