Mental Health Awareness Week
Partnership encourages all to check in with their mates to prevent suicide
West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) is launching a new campaign on Monday 16 May to create awareness around male suicide across the area and is urging everyone to get involved.
The campaign, which builds on the Partnership’s national award-winning staff suicide prevention campaign ‘Check-In’, aims to promote a wellbeing culture by normalising the conversation around suicide and mental health as well as providing communication assets, links to credible sources such as the life-saving Zero Suicide Alliance training, and signposting to local support.
The campaign aims to raise awareness of the risk factors that may lead to suicide, inspiring people to start conversations about mental health with the men in their life at home, in the community and at work. It sets out practical help we can all give when checking-in. Messages include:
- Is your sporty mate suddenly off his game?
- Does your mate always want to have one to many?
- Does your mate get down when he can’t see his kids grow up?
- Has your mate left service but he’s still fighting?
Developed with local men and built from their experiences, the resources can be used publicly in various places – in person and virtually, such as What’s App groups, on Facebook and Instagram, in workplaces, community groups and elsewhere at staffcheck-in.co.uk/campaign-toolkit/males/ from Monday 16 May.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that suicide is more common in West Yorkshire than in England as a whole, with significantly more men taking their own lives than women. The ONS data shows that there were 235 deaths registered by coroners as suicides in West Yorkshire in 2020, with an average of 4.5 people per week.
This priority area of work is one of WY HCP’s ten ambitions set out in their five-year plan.
Jessica Parker, Project Manager for WY HCP Suicide Prevention programme, believes the campaign will play an important role in the conversation surrounding suicide, and could potentially save lives.
Jess said: ‘I’m urging everyone to get involved in this life-saving campaign and would encourage everyone to check in with the men in their lives to ask if they are ok. WYH HCP Suicide Prevention Strategy has developed strong momentum around making suicide prevention everyone’s business. We all have a part to play in combatting stigma and identifying men in our lives who are going through struggles and ask them if they need help’.
Surinder Rall, Service Lead for West Yorkshire Suicide Bereavement Service, says it is essential that we all know the warning signs of suicide. ‘I lost both my father and my uncle to suicide. So, I speak from experience when I say that we should all work together to combat the stigma and talk more about suicide. To achieve our target of zero suicides in West Yorkshire, we must continue to talk and ask each other about mental health and suicide. That’s what the Check-In campaign is all about’.
Rob Webster CBE, CEO for WY&H HCP said: ‘While people at risk of suicide may try to hide how they are feeling, they often give out warning signs. You might notice changes in their behaviour or be aware of events in their life that could be affecting them. By knowing what to look for, having the skills and confidence to have a conversation and provide support, you can make a huge difference to someone’s life, and their family. I’m urging everyone to get involved so they know the signs and how to respond. You can also start straight away by doing the online training provided at www.zerosuicidealliance.com’
All partners in West Yorkshire – health, care, voluntary sector and beyond, are encouraged to download the free resource, such as posters, social media messages and films to use in their organisation, place of work, teams or at home among friends, family, and community. All are available at staffcheck-in.co.uk/campaign-toolkit/males/ from Monday the 16 May.
Vita Health Group on Combatting Loneliness and Mental Health Awareness Week
Mental Health Awareness and Combatting Loneliness
Mental Health Awareness week takes place from 9th-15th May 2022, and this year’s theme for the week is Loneliness. Never before has it been more important to give mental ill health the time it deserves and break down the stigmas associated with this devastating and destructive illness that so many of us suffer with.
As many people will be aware, one of the big contributing factors to mental ill heath these days is loneliness. We know that loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our mental health, not least because of the pandemic and ongoing lockdowns we have all experienced.
We know that our connection to other people and our community is paramount to protecting our mental health, and as such, we all need to work together to find better ways to tackle loneliness, both within ourselves and within others. Because reducing loneliness is a major step towards a healthier society.
Loneliness and its impact on our mental health
Loneliness is a normal human feeling, which almost everyone will experience at some point in their lives.
Generally, it presents itself in a feeling of being isolated or disconnected from others. It may also manifest itself as a feeling of not being understood or cared for.
When we are on our own, but don’t want to be, it’s natural for us to feel a bit lonely and sad. We may start thinking in a negative or self-critical way, which can lead to low motivation and social withdrawal. Without active coping strategies, this pattern may continue to make our mood even lower and result in more negative thoughts and avoidance responses. This is what we call the vicious cycle of loneliness.
VitaMinds is here for you.
Vita Health Group celebrates life. Improving lives physically and mentally drives everything we do.
We work in partnership with the NHS to provide mental and physical health services, work with the UK’s largest companies to help support their workforce and provide a full range of physiotherapy services to private customers.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 : #IveBeenThere
Mental Health Awareness Week is running from 9-15 May and this year’s theme
is exploring the impact of Loneliness and seeks to encourage people to ‘lift someone
out of loneliness’.
Why loneliness?
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge
impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our
connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting
our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of
loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
Get involved
You can visit the Every Mind Matters loneliness webpage for support and
advice on dealing with loneliness. It also has a Mind Plan quiz, to get a
personalised mental health action plan with practical tips to help you deal
with stress, anxiety, low mood and trouble sleeping, plus advice on how to cope
with feelings of loneliness.
Visit www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/lifes-challenges/loneliness/
A Celebration of Wellbeing and Mental Health Wednesday May 11th
Halifax Minster in partnership with Calderdale Interfaith and Healthy Minds are hosting a Celebration of Wellbeing and Mental Health on Wednesday the 11th May as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.
The session is FREE to attend. There will be talks from Jim Mc Manus, director of Public Health Hertfordshire and Calderdale’s Healthy Minds, Jonny Richardson.
A vegetarian Lunch will be provided to all attendees.
Calderdale College will present a drama and there will be workshops in the afternoon.
Please register for your free place through Eventbrite here:
Celebration of Wellbeing and Mental Health at Halifax Minster
All most Welcome.
A Celebration of Wellbeing and Mental Health in Calderdale
A Calderdale Interfaith ‘Celebration of Wellbeing and Mental Health’
Wednesday 11 May, 10am – 2.30pm, Halifax Minster
The last 2 years have put particular strain on the health and wellbeing of individuals and organisations and this conference aims to be inspiring as well as informative. It will be a real opportunity to connect with different faith approaches to wellbeing and mental health in our local area and meet and network together for mutual support.
There will be 2 keynote speakers, Jim McManus (Dir Public Health, Hertfordshire) and Jonny Richardson Glenn (CEO Healthy Minds Calderdale); and a drama presentation from Calderdale College in the morning, followed by a free vegetarian sandwich lunch then themed workshops in the afternoon.
When : Wednesday 11th May (during Mental Health Awareness Week)
10am-2.30pm
Venue : Halifax Minster
FREE Vegetarian Lunch provided
The conference is open to everyone, especially the faith communities and mental health agencies.
Register for FREE at Eventbrite via this link:
Mental Health Awareness Week 13-19 May
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week – and what better time to show your support for better mental health.
Mental health problems can affect anyone, any day of the year, and Mind is always on hand to provide information and support for anyone that needs it. But this week is a great time to have a chat with a friend, family member or colleague and have think about your own wellbeing too. You could even join one of Mind’s campaigns to help make sure no one experiences a mental health.
What are mental health problems?
In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it.
Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you’re frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with. This can feel just as bad as a physical illness, or even worse.
Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year. They range from common problems, such as depression and anxiety, to rarer problems such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
‘I now know that if I felt there was something wrong, it’s because there was, but I didn’t understand mental health fully’.
It’s a spectrum and you should feel able to decide where and when you are on that spectrum.
Dementia Awareness Week (15 -21 May)
Calderdale and Kirklees Alzheimer’s Society have a Dementia Roadshow Bus at Sowerby Bridge Market on Friday 13 May and more on the following dates’
- Tuesday 17 May – Wellington Arcade, Brighouse – 12 to 1pm
- Wednesday 18 May – Woolshops, Halifax – 11am to 1pm
- Thursday 19 May – Todmorden Flea Market – 10am to 12pm
- Friday 20 May – Hebden Bridge Town Hall – 10.30am to 12.30pm
During Dementia Awareness Week there will be events throughout Calderdale where you can ask any questions you have about Dementia and join in for a song if the mood takes you.
With memory trees at each event you are invited to write a message confronting dementia to hang on a tree.
Calderdale Lower Valley blog 