There are a number of excellent national services that exist to guide you through options if you, or someone you know, is experiencing a mental health problem.
Alzheimer's Society
Dementia is the UK's biggest killer, with a new case surfacing every three minutes. There is currently no cure for the disease, however the work and the care that are put in place upon diagnosis are a huge factor to the mental and psychological well-being of an individual. Alzheimer's society celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2019, and the reputation that they have built up in that time has propelled them to become the UK's leading Dementia charity. Key components of the work they carry out include:
- Support - Alzheimer's society note that many Dementia sufferers face such a battle in isolation and loneliness. The charity has pledged that by 2022, all new sufferers of the disease will be offered a direct offer of support. The taskforce titled Dementia Connect has been formulated to provide face to face, telephone, and online interactive services to support those in need.
- Society - The charity notice that there remains a limited level of understanding of the disease itself within the wider community. Through education and inclusive levels of support in the community, the charity aims to immerse sufferers into society, as well as removing existing stigma that may be associated with the condition.
- Research - The complexity of the disease means that there is as of yet no cure, but the charity is investing heavily in research and as a result are attracting exciting and talented individuals into their teams.
NHS website: Moodzone
Moodzone provides practical resources to help you look after your mental health and avoid common problems like depression, anxiety and stress. The website has numerous useful resources and links, with their main content revolving around the following concepts.
- Common problems that you may have experienced and suitable treatments
- Tips and advice to boost mental health
- Self-help resources
- Other people's stories
- Emergency mental health help information
- Audio guides
Patient UK: Mental Health
Patient UK provide trusted clinical information, which has been written and reviewed by doctors and healthcare professionals. Examples of the resources available are as follows:
- Information and treatments for insomnia (poor sleep), anxiety, depression, eating disorders, stress management and more.
- News articles on mental health topics written by medical professionals.
- Community chat pages.
- Resources: Tools and Tests (for instance, a Generalised Anxiety Disorder Assessment).
National Institute of Health and Care Excellence: Mental Health and Well-being
NICE is a public body, sponsored by the Department of Health and Social Care who provide national guidance and advice to improve health and social care. This includes:
- Guidance and recommendations on a number of mental health problems such as treatment pathways one can take.
- Less formal advice such as the recommendation of apps.
- Quality standards which set out the priority areas for quality improvement in health and social care. Each standard gives you: information on improving quality of healthcare and services and how to measure progress.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists: Mental Health
RCPSYCH is the main professional organisation of psychiatrists in the UK. It provides information on Mental Health problems and treatments written by psychiatrists with help from patients and carers. The college has also released a new review platform in order to assess the quality and success of local NHS providers under the title of Mental Health Watch. They assess components such as accessibility, leadership, quality, care and also finance, which give a level of transparency into the services that the NHS provide. The website allows you to refine your search in order to find the specific hospital or NHS provider in question. Further information about the work the College carry out can be found below, as well as on their main mental health website which can be accessed by clicking here.
- A list of mental health problems and disorders.
- Support, care and treatments for those mentioned above.
- A section on young people's mental health with advice for young people, parents and carers.
- Information on how eating well links to good mental health.
MindEd
MindEd provide educational resources on children and young people’s mental health for all adults. The organisation is funded by the Department of Health and Department of Education. The structure of the organisation is as follows:
- Professionals and volunteers: e-learning applicable across the health, social care, education, criminal justice and community settings. It is aimed at anyone from a beginner through to a specialist.
- Parents and carers: advice and information on how you can support your child's mental health & services that can support your child's mental health.
- Older people: Areas of frequent concern, common problems and what to do about them, resources for supporting your well-being.
Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
Citizens Advice is a network of 316 independent charities throughout the UK that give free and confidential information to assist people with money, legal, consumer and other problems. Citizens Advice is calling on government to fund a pilot of integrated advice in health settings to improve recovery rates and stop mental health problems from getting worse. Information on their website includes:
- Why things need to change and how they are campaigning for this change.
- Mental health policy research.
- Mental health blogs.
To read specifically about perinatal mental health please click here.
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