January 2013

More Mental Health Conversations From Time To Change

Last week we posted about the new UK-wide campaign aimed at asking people to start a conversation mental health in a bid to help out those who suffer from these kinds of problems.

The Time To Change online and TV ad campaign explains how you don't need to be an expert to talk about mental health issues and centres around the fact that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any single year.

Statistically this means that you're more than likely to know someone who has been affected by a mental health issue and below are some of the stars of the campaign explaining how simply talking can make a difference.

Paul and Rob

Isaac and Aronda

To see all the stars' stories just visit the Time To Change Talk about mental health web page where you can here everything they have to say.

Time to Change is a campaign aimed at ending mental health stigma and discrimination across the UK and you can find out more about its latest "Start your conversation" adverts by visiting its Talk about mental health web page.

Alternatively, if you want to find out more about mental health across Wales please visit the various sections of our website for further information about a whole range of these kinds of issues.

Call To End Mental Health Stigma In Your Community

A leading mental health campaign is asking people to come up with initiatives to help rid their local communities in Wales of the stigma surrounding mental health.

Time to Change Wales is asking people to come forward with ideas to challenge people's negative perceptions of mental illness as part of its Social Leadership Community Projects Scheme.

If you’ve got an idea, project or initiative to tackle your local mental health issues then the campaign may be able to help make it happen the scheme's grants which will be used to fund 5 projects over 3 years across the country.

Suggested proposals range from hosting events challenging the way people currently think about mental illness, activities bringing people with and without mental health problems together or projects which get people to talk about mental health.

The organisation's English campaign has recently launched its own TV and online campaign along these lines called "Start Your Conversation" which you can read all about on our last blog post - Mental Health Campaign Asks UK to 'Start A Conversation'.

The closing dates for applications for the Social Leadership Community Projects Scheme is 18th February 2013 and for further information please visit the following page on the organisation's website - What is the Social Leadership Community Projects Scheme?

Time to Change Wales is led by Mind Cymru, Gofal and Hafal and is a campaign aimed at ending mental health stigma and discrimination within Wales.

Mental Health Campaign Asks UK to 'Start A Conversation'

A leading mental health campaign has asked people who don’t have to have a mental health problem to start a conversation about mental health via its new TV and online adverts.

The new Time To Change ads explain how you don't need to be an expert to talk about mental health issues and asks you to be there for someone you know if they come across these kinds of problems.

The basis of the new TV and online ads centres around the fact that 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem in any single year.

Statistically this means that you're more than likely to know someone who has been affected by a mental health issue.

Sadly, it's often difficult to talk about mental health problems and it can lead to the loss of friendships, isolation, not seeking out help and in turn slower recovery.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way as talking about mental health can strengthen friendships, aid recovery, break down stereotypes and take the taboo out of something which affects us all.

Time to Change is a campaign aimed at ending mental health stigma and discrimination across the UK and you can find out more about its latest "Start your conversation" adverts by visiting its Talk about mental health web page.

Alternatively, if you want to find out more about mental health across Wales please visit the various sections of our website for further information about a whole range of these kinds of issues.

Essential Characteristics and Components of Primary Care Mental Health Services

We'd like to introduce you to a report we have commissioned which looks at the experiences and feelings of GPs and mental health practitioners.

Although the Essential Characteristics and Components of Primary Care Mental Health Services centres around the experiences of mental health professionals in North Wales we feel the evidence it has produced is applicable across Wales. 

The report contains key messages for policy makers as it shows how professionals from widely different backgrounds view the services they work in and how policy can impact on their performance. 

It uses scientifically-proven qualitative research techniques and we commissioned the work to look at the key components needed to create an effective primary care service.  

The document is not long and we feel it is an extremely valuable read with a useful synopsis of its findings available in Dr Mark Boulter’s (Chair of WaMH in PC) letter.

The report was authored by Helen J. Lewis, BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD and Seren Haf Roberts, Dip N (MH), RN (MH), BSc(Hons), PhD, MSc and can viewed and downloaded from the following link - Essential Characteristics and Components of Primary Care Mental Health Services.

Get Your Facts Right About Mental Health

Following our post on Wednesday about the Time to Change Wales camaign to help to dispel the myths about mental illness here's its advert showing why it’s so important to get your facts right about this sensitive issue.

View the ad below or alternatively visit the Time to Change Wales Channel on Youtube at www.youtube.com/user/TTCWales.

Time to Change Wales is led by Mind Cymru, Gofal and Hafal and is a campaign aimed at ending mental health stigma and discrimination within Wales.

Free Mental Health Myths and Facts Booklet

Mental health campaign Time to Change Wales is helping to dispel the myths about mental illness by providing people with the facts mental health issues through a free online booklet.

The booklet is available online in English and Welsh and can be downloaded from the Time to Change Wales website via it's Myths and Facts page.

There are many myths about mental illness and the booklet aims to help by supporting people to have a better understanding of mental health issues.

For example, most people think mental health problems are rare but about one in four (25%) of people across Wales and the UK are affected by mental health issues of one kind or another.

Whether or not you have a mental health problem, Time to Change Wales believes downloading and reading the booklet will help you challenge discrimination by improving your everyday knowledge about mental illness.

The campaign believes you don’t need to be an expert on mental health and simply providing yourself with the tools to have an informed conversation about mental health will help to tackle the stigma surrounding this issue across Wales.

The fact is that you probably know someone with a mental health problem - a friend, family member or colleague - and you can support them by reading the Myths and Facts booklet and providing yourself with the knowledge to dispel the myths surrounding their conditions.

Time to Change Wales is led by Mind Cymru, Gofal and Hafal and is a campaign aimed at ending mental health stigma and discrimination within Wales.

Good Year For WaMH in PC Online

It's been a good year for the WaMH in PC wesite with our visitor numbers more than doubling within 2012.

Over the course of the year nearly 5,000 people visited our site in order to find out more about mental health issues and services across Wales.

This was up from the 2,000 who visited in 2011 and shows how far the site has come following its redevelopment at the beginning of last year.

Our visitors viewed more than 20,000 pages on the site with our Information Sheets pages proving the most popular with around a quarter of you heading straight for this section.

The introduction of Part 1 of the Mental Health Measure across the country helped make our Mental Health (Wales) Measure 2010 popular with more than 10% of you heading to this section to find out more about this new legislation.

We also added 2 new sections to the site towards the end of 2012 in the form of our Dementia section and Downloadable Resource which provides mental health professionals with information about Part 1 of the Mental Health Measure.

Finally, our News & Events Blog has also proved to be a success with another 10% of visitors heading to this section on the site.

To find out more about the information available on our site please browse through its various sections and if there's something you can't find please email our Project Manager Lesley Hills at lhills@rcgp.org.uk for help.