Mental Wellbeing

About Mental Health

Mental health is fundamental to good health, well-being and quality of life. It impacts on how everyone thinks, feels, communicates and understands. It enables us to manage our lives successfully and live to our full potential. There is no health without mental health.
 
Mental health problems are very common, 1 in 4 people will experience some form of mental health problem within a year.  According to the World Health Organisation, depression will be the second-largest health problem worldwide by 2020, just behind heart disease and ahead of cancer.  In the UK, a third of all lost working days are due to stress, anxiety and depression. The cost of inadequately addressing mental health problems in the UK adds up to £93billion a year when taking into account lost economic output and the cost of health ands social care provision.
 
There is still a massive stigma around mental illness, and people experience discrimination making it hard for them to seek help and recover.  With a better understanding of mental health and mental health problems we can promote and protect our mental health, support people who are struggling with their mental health, challenge the stigma and discrimination associate with it and encourage people to seek support earlier.

Annual Mental Health Service User Event - 8th June 2011

This event is open for any person aged 18-65 who currently/previously accesses or may need to access mental health services within Cambridgeshire (excluding Peterborough).

After the successful event from last year, come and find out what your Service User Network has done over the last 12 months and see how you can get involved in shaping the future of mental health services.

For more information please download the event poster at the bottom of the page. To book your place complete the booking form at the bottom of the page and return to Adele McCormack, Hunts Mind, The Limes, 24 New Street, St Neots, Cambridgeshire PE19 1AJ, or via email at adele.mccormack@huntsmind.org.uk.

Promoting and Protecting our Mental Health

It is possible to recovery from mental health problems, to promote and protect our mental health and to encourage good mental health and wellbeing. The following are useful health promoting tips:

• 5 ways to wellbeing - Based on the latest scientific evidence from New Economics Foundation 2008.
• Looking after you mental health, Mental Health Foundation
• The Happiness Manifesto 

Wellbeing Programmes

NHS Cambridgeshire supports a range of programmes that help to keep us active and healthy. We buy a range of services that support mental health and wellbeing including voluntary sector organisations that help to promote social inclusion, employment, healthy lifestyles and volunteering.

New Mental Health Strategy 

No Health Without Mental Health is a cross government mental health outcome strategy for people of all ages. This new strategy makes mental health and wellbeing everyone’s business and places people at the central point of the decision making process regarding their health care. NHS Cambridgeshire will be working with partnership organisation to meet the aims of this strategy. Its 6 key aims include:
1.       More people will have good mental health
2.       More people with mental health problems will recover
3.       More people with mental health problems will have good physical health
4.       More people will have a positive experience of care and support
5.       Fewer people will suffer from harm
6.       Fewer people will experience stigma and discrimination.

If you are in distress the following numbers may be of help:

Out of Hours:

• Lifeline, Cambridge Mental Health Helpline.  Confidential listening support and information. Freephone: 0808 808 2121 (7pm – 11pm, 365 days a year)
• Samaritans: 08457 909090 (24 hours a day every day)
• Fenland: Peterborough & Fenland Mind: 01354 658058 (9am-4pm M-Fri)
• Huntingdon: Hunts Mind: 01480 470480 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
• Cambridge: Lifecraft: 01223 566957 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
• Cam Mind: 01223 311320 (9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
• All areas in Cambridgeshire: CIAS Mental Health Advocacy: 01223 218500 and 01733 758278

Local and National Support for Mental Health Problems

Working Together for Recovery
Key local website for information on mental health, wellbeing and recovery across Cambridgeshire

The Mental Health Handbook 2008 - Cambridge and Ely

A Guide to Rough Times
For young people in Cambridgeshire, their parents, carers, friends and family. How to look after your emotional well-being when times are difficult, and what to do when you may need some extra help.
 
Cambridgeshire Celebrates Age
An ongoing initiative to promote the health and wellbeing of older people. This lists evens and groups from this October but also includes ongoing opportunities for involvement.

Time to Change

Red Nose Day focus on Mental Health

Local Mind Organisations:

Cambridge Mind

Huntingdon Mind

Peterborough and Fenland Mind 

Cameo - Early Intervention Service 

Hearing Voices Network - Support for anyone hearing voices 

Rethink - Working together to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.

SHIFT Line Manager Resource - A practical guide for managing and supporting people with experience of mental health problems in the workplace.

Mindful Employer - A national Initiative increasing awareness of mental health, supporting workplaces around mental and wellbeing, and making it healthier to talk about mental health in the workplace. 

National Mental Health First Aid - A national 12 hour evidence based training course that has been developed and regulated by the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE).  It covers the causes, symptoms and treatments of common mental health problems. It aims to give everyone the knowledge and confidence to recognise signs of mental health problems, encourage someone to seek the right help, and to reduce the stigma around mental illness.

Further Information and Support

A Resource for People Bereaved by Suicide and Other Sudden, Traumatic Death

The brochure 'Help is at Hand - A resource for people bereaved by suicide
and other sudden, traumatic death' is available to download below.

How to Get Involved in Promoting Wellbeing

Cambridge Celebrates Age 2011

Please download the Cambridge Celebrates Age Information Pack below for more information on how you can get involved to improve the well-being, independence and quality of life of older people.