Mental Health Awareness Week
By Gemma Raw
Loneliness is the theme of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, organised and hosted by the Mental Health Foundation.
Running from 9-15 May, Mental Health Awareness Week provides a platform for a national conversation about mental health issues. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of being connected to family, friends, colleagues and community, which makes this year's theme of loneliness particularly apt. Lockdowns and other COVID restrictions were difficult for everybody. However, they were particularly challenging for those living alone and those with additional challenges such as existing mental health issues or other disabilities.
"The week will be an opportunity to ask vital questions about how we will reduce loneliness as we continue to come out of the pandemic, and live with Covid-19 in a different way," said Mental Health Foundation CEO Mark Rowland. "There is so much you can do during the week. Take the chance to get in touch with a friend or neighbour you haven’t spoken with in a while. Have a look at and share our podcasts, animation, personal stories, social posts, research, policy asks and tips that we’ll be publishing in the week."
Mental wellbeing for nurses and other health professionals
When we talk about mental health issues, it's easy to forget that those who provide patient care are not immune. Even without the additional pressures of a pandemic, nursing jobs and other healthcare roles can be highly challenging. Nurses, midwives and other health professionals are at significant risk of experiencing work-related stress, burnout and mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
According to research by the King's Fund, almost 25% of sickness absence in nursing is due to anxiety, stress, depression or another psychiatric illness. A 2020 report by the Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) and the RCN Foundation called for urgent research to 'examine the important gaps in our understanding of how the experiences of diverse groups of nurses and their radically different working environments impact on their mental health and wellbeing'.
Support for healthcare staff
NHS Practitioner Health is a free, confidential NHS primary care mental health and addiction service with expertise in treating health and care professionals. It comprises a multidisciplinary, integrated team, bringing together GPs, psychiatrists, nurses and therapists and offering a mix of face-to-face and virtual consultations.
The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Counselling Service provides members with free, confidential support and assistance to help them deal with challenging emotional issues, whether work related or personal.
With You in Mind: Consultations in Crisis is an initiative run by the Institute of Psychoanalysis. Members of the Institute, who are all mental healthcare specialists, are volunteering their time to offer support sessions to NHS staff, focusing on professional or personal matters. A series of podcasts is also available.
Nurse Lifeline is an initiative that was developed by nurses and midwives, for nurses and midwives. With a mission to reduce isolation within the nursing community, the peer-led listening service provides space for those in need to chat with someone who understands what they're going through.
Browse our mental health nursing jobs or read more mental health news.
