Many of us are at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are experiencing a range of emotions as a result of this health crisis. If you’d like to make sense of what you’re feeling, you can join Olivia Haltman of OH Services on Saturday 25^th April where she’ll be discussing the effect of COVID-19 on our mental health and how you can support yourself and others.

You can register for this webinar here

In addition to this webinar, Olivia Haltman will be delivering two free webinars as part of her “What is…?” series.

On Tuesday 28^th April, Olivia will be exploring ‘What is Sexual Abuse?” This is an issue which can affect anyone and this means we need to stay well informed so we can remain as safe as possible and keep each other safe and empowered. When an experience like this happens, it is bound to drastically shift the course of someone’s life as it impacts their mental health. It can be challenging supporting survivors of sexual abuse, but a huge part of the problem is being misinformed about this issue. So, this webinar aims to bring you relevant facts, information and knowledge so you can tackle this topic with confidence.

You can register here

Next month, on 26^th May, Olivia will be discussing ‘What is a Healthy Relationship?” She’ll be answering the question ‘What does a healthy relationship look and feel like?” In this webinar, you’ll analyse whether you have a healthy relationship with your partner, family, friends, employer and, most importantly, yourself.  Identifying the qualities of what a healthy relationship is crucial for our emotional wellbeing. This webinar will help you to understand why a healthy relationship is important and how you can set boundaries that will make you feel secure and safe, even when your relationships become challenging .

You can find out more about this webinar and register here

We hope you’ll be able to attend one of these interesting webinars. For more information about these events, you can contact OH Services here. 

In the UK, it is estimated that 10% of people suffer from claustrophobia (including our founder) which is a type of anxiety disorder where a person has a fear of confined spaces – such as lifts, tunnels, underground trains, small rooms etc. It tends to develop as a result of a one-off trauma and causes people  a great deal of anxiety when they are confronted with confined spaces, or even the thought of a confined space.

This type of phobia, like many phobias, seems to go largely unnoticed, but this week London Underground recognised the plight of many claustrophobia  sufferers by creating a new London Underground Map for passengers with this condition.

The new map highlights the locations where the underground trains are in a tunnel and pinpoints routes that can be taken to avoid long stretches of tunnels. Although the London Underground train system is called “The Underground,”  55% of this transport system is tunnel-free and not underground. This means that claustrophobia sufferers who have avoided the Underground completely can now use the new map to plan a route that is tunnel free.

The UK charity, Anxiety UK, welcomed this move by London Underground saying:

“For those with anxiety conditions such as panic attacks and claustrophobia, we know that travel by the underground can be problematic and challenging. This new map is an excellent resource for those wishing to avoid journeys where there are tunnels; serving as a great pre-journey planning aid and increasing access to public transport. I sincerely hope that the map will encourage those with claustrophobia and/or panic attacks who have previously avoided this form of public transport out of fear, to re-consider their use of the Tube.”  

You can download this new map here: https://tfl.gov.uk/tubetunnelmap and if you have claustrophobia or any other anxiety disorder visit Anxiety UK’s website for more information and support.

OpenMinds is a new not-for-profit, specialist mental health organisation based in Croydon which makes recovering from a mental health difficulty the main focus of their work. Their core values are recovering, advocacy and changing mindset.

OpenMinds will be hosting their launch event on Tuesday 22^nd November at the Croydon Voluntary Action Resource Centre, 82 London Road, CR0 2TB from 5pm to 8pm.

The purpose of this event is to promote the work of OpenMinds’ floating support service, but more importantly, to stimulate conversations that will challenge and facilitate change in mindsets, with the goal of reducing stigma and discrimination in mental health service and provision.

All are welcome to attend and for more information please contact: info@openmindssocialcare.co.uk or you can find out more about OpenMinds by downloading their brochure below.

Last week, NHS Digital, NatCen Social Research and the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester published the latest results of the National Study of Health and Wellbeing (sometimes referred to as the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey).

The National Study of Health and Wellbeing Survey  is carried out every seven years and has been running since 1993. It aims to determine how everyday stresses, strains and joys affect the health of people living in the England.  It focuses on common mental disorders which are disorders that cause emotional distress, interfere with daily function but do not usually affect insight or cognition. Common mental disorders include types of depression and anxiety. Depression occurs when a person experiences low moods and a loss of interest in everyday things and experiences. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The current survey focuses on data collected in 2014 and is based on interviews with 7,500 adults over the age of 16. It explored a range of areas including wellbeing, disability, physical health, pain, lifestyle behaviours, work and stress and life events. The results of the survey can be used by those working in the health field to get a clearer picture of the public’s health and wellbeing so they can plan their services accordingly.

What does the study tell us?

The study revealed that one in six  (17%) adults have a common mental disorder and more women were affected by mental illness than men with one in five (20.7%) women having a common mental disorder compared to one in eight men (13.2%).

Other disorders were also explored and it was found that one in a hundred adults were affected by psychotic disorder and autism each.  Also, one in fifty people experienced bipolar disorder and one in thirty people were drug dependent and a similar proportion of people were found to be alcohol dependent.

The study found that young women were particularly at risk of developing a mental disorder having high rates of common mental disorders (28.2%)0, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

The survey also found that common mental disorders were more common in Black women, adults under the age of 60 living alone, women living in large households, adults who were not in employment or were in receipt of benefits and in those who smoked cigarettes.

When the researchers looked at ethnicity they found that in men common mental disorders affected all ethnic groups similarly but when they looked at women there was a difference. In women, common mental disorders were more common in Black and Black British women (29.3%) compared to non-British White women (15.6%) and British White women (20.9%).

The survey suggested that depression was more prevalent among Black women and panic disorder appeared to be more prevalent in Black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups.

Conclusion

Common mental disorders are a significant issue in England and the survey reveals that these are more common in Black women and there is a need to understand why this is and provide Black women with the appropriate support to address this. As a charity we will do what we can to address this issue.

You can download the National Study of Health and Wellbeing below.

‘So You Think I’m Crazy?’ is an emotive drama that explores the UK’s mental health system, told through the eyes of a young black man. It uses music, poetry, rap and dance to take audiences from the streets of London to the secure wing of a psychiatric hospital. The play highlights the issues surrounding mental ill-health in the black community and questions whether the mental health system in the UK is effective. The exploration of the issues raised in the play continues after each performance with a panel discussion made up of mental health professionals.

‘So You Think I’m Crazy?’ is written and directed by Ekanem Hines, the co-founder of Know My Mind which is a Croydon-based community group which aims to highlight mental health issues from the perspective of service users and carers.

The play was launched in 2014 and has featured in theatres and events across the UK and has been endorsed by the Mayor of Croydon, Mind and Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has also received excellent reviews.

Know My Mind started in 2013 when the co-founders decided to capture the stories of users for a report on the UK’s mental health system. This report entitled ‘Tell it like it is Mental Health in the Community: Opening Pandora’s Box?’ was published in 2014 and aimed to address the fact that the voice of service users tends to be lost in academic and professional jargon. Therefore the reality of the experience of mental health patients is not fully understood. The report addressed this by challenging the system and putting forward a set of recommendations to improve the system. Following the publication of this report Know My Mind put together the script for ‘So You Think I’m Crazy’ with assistance from consultants.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see ‘So You Think I’m Crazy’, there will be performances on Saturday 8^th October at 2:30pm and 8pm at  The Broadway Theatre in Catford, tickets are £10.

Macmillan Cancer Care and Croydon Health Services are inviting anyone affected by cancer to their upcoming health and well-being event on Tuesday 13^th September 2016 from 2:30pm to 7:30pm. This event has been organised for people who have completed or are near the completion of their cancer treatment.  The event aims to provide patients with the information and support needed to improve their well-being with speakers covering a range of topics including diet, stress, exercise, work and sexuality.

The event will take place at: Oasis Restaurant, 1^st Floor, Croydon University Hospital

To book your place on this course please call Macmillan on 0208 401 3441 or email  ch-tr.wellbeingMCS@nhs.net

For more information please download the poster and the invitation letter below.

Public Health England is conducting the first national survey to explore the health and wellbeing of people working in the sport, fitness and leisure industry.  This is a large industry with around 630,300 people working in the field accounting for 2% of the UK’s workforce.

Similar surveys have been conducted on people working in other sectors to determine the reasons for sickness absence. This is a significant issue in the UK with about 131 million work days lost through sickness absence.  These surveys found that sickness absence was due to ill health caused by feelings of discrimination, stress in the workplace and lifestyle choices.

This survey is being conducted to understand the general health and work status of people working in the sport, fitness and leisure industry.  They’d like to use the findings of the survey to inform employers on how they can better support the health and wellbeing of their staff.

If you’re interested in taking part in this survey, please click here for more information.

If you’re black African, black British or black Caribbean, we highly recommend that you take part so that any issues related to race and be properly identified and explored.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care is pleased to announce that its Living Well with the Impact of Cancer course will be coming to Croydon on 10^th and 17^th June 2016.

Penny Brohn Cancer Care’s course is a 2 day course over 2 weeks and will be held at Croydon University Hospital. The course can be attended by patients at any stage of illness and supporters such as a friend, family member or carer will also benefit from attending.

This is a free course that offers peer support, lifestyle recommendations and self-help tools. It will cover: nutrition, exercise, relaxation/stress management, emotional support, managing the impact of  cancer on close relationships and financial/welfare issues.

For more information on this course please download the flyer below or visit www.pennybrohn.org.uk/national-living-well-services and to book a place please complete the booking form below and email it to bookings@pennybrohn.org.uk

Kinetic Root Services is running three two-hour monthly workshops on difficult issues in women’s lives.  The workshops aim to empower women ensuring that they can move on from any difficult situation they encounter.

The sessions will be held at The Hub, Lordship Recreation Ground from 7-9pm  on:
Wednesday 26^th August 2015
Wednesday 30^th September 2015
Wednesday 28^th October 2015

For more information please email info@kineticrootservices.org  or call 07746 260 258. Alternatively you can download their flyer below.

The London Assembly’s health committee recently published their report ‘Healthy minds, healthy Londoners: Improving access to mental health services for London’s Black, Asian and minority ethnic population’. This report summarises the committee’s review on mental wellbeing across London and the aims of their review were to:

• Examine the challenges facing people in accessing mental health services in London with a specific focus on young and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals
• Explore and make recommendations on how the Mayor might support improved access to mental health services, particularly for young people and the BAME population in London

They found that over a million Londoners suffer from a mental illness at any one time and this affected their mood, physical health and their ability to work, study and develop and maintain relationships.  They stated that there is evidence to suggest that mental ill-health is more common in London than elsewhere in the UK. Additionally, they reported that mental health is a particular challenge in young people and the BAME community.

They highlighted that a major challenge is access to mental services with there being cultural and practical reasons why both young people and BAME individuals are reluctant to access mental health services in London. The health committee suggest that an effective way of increasing uptake of mental health services, particularly for young people, is for these services to become more integrated.  They state that many services are provided by multiple agencies and this is confusing for young people to navigate.

The health committee also stressed the need for mental health problems to be identified  and addressed as early as possible with a strategy and funding allocated to prevention and early intervention.

Seven recommendations were put forward to address the challenges that exist.

1. The Department of Health should commission a national mental health survey of children and young people at the earliest opportunity to update the 2004 survey. The Department, in response to this report, should set out its timetable for such a survey, and explain how it will address the needs of policy makers and commissioners in London – specifically around young people and Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.
2. London boroughs and Clinical Commissioning Groups, supported by NHS England London and the Department of Health, should develop a more integrated approach to providing mental health services and support that will enable a shift in focus to early intervention and prevention provision, whilst greater pan-London strategic leadership should seek to facilitate greater cooperation across complex existing structures.
3. London boroughs, working with Clinical Commissioning Groups, should consider giving greater priority to children and young people’s mental health in local Health and Well Being Strategies when they are next refreshed.
4. Local Transformation Plans for Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing – being drawn up by Clinical Commissioning Groups and others – must include ways to support the voluntary sector as a provider of mental health services for children and young people.
5. The NHS England Mental Health Task Force must examine ways to develop a sustainable model of community-based advocacy, as a means of improving access to mental health services and support for BME groups, in which the voluntary sector is an essential partner.
6. In response to this report, the London Health Board should set out an express commitment to a continued emphasis on mental health, in the confirmed areas of focus, to be agreed later this year.
7. In response to this report, the Mayor should set out what additional steps he (or a future Mayor) could take to promote good mental health in London, particularly with reference to London’s young people and Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups.

The Lake Foundation welcomes this report and its recommendations as there is an urgent need to address the mental health challenges the black community face.

You can download the full report below.