Section Title

Introduction to Mental
Health Awareness
presentation

Presentation slides adapted from Minds Blue

Light – MH Awareness
 As a group we will
• Listen to those around us
• Be non-judgmental
• Share if we feel comfortable to do so
• Be aware of your own mental health throughout
• Take a break if you need to do so
• Make a safe learning environment to make
people feel able to be as honest as they would
like to be.
 Mental health quiz
1. How many people in the UK will experience a mental
health problem every year?
1 in 4, 1 in 8, 1 in 2.

2. What proportion of people with mental health problems

believe that workplace stress contributed to their illness?
1 in 5, 1 in 3, 2 in 3.

3. Which country’s Prime Minister was re-elected in 2001

after publicly taking time off for depression?
Mexico, Norway, Poland
 Definitions of mental health

“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.”

Mind
 Definitions of mental health

Mental wellbeing describes your mental state -

how you are feeling and how well you can cope with
day-to-day life.
 
Our mental wellbeing is dynamic. It can change
from moment to moment, day to day, month to
month or year to year.’ Mind
What does good mental health look like?

If you have good mental wellbeing, you are able to:

• Recognise the good in yourself, such as your

positive attributes and achievements you have
made.
• Feel and express a range of emotions.
• Feel engaged with the world around you.
• Live and work productively.
• Cope with the stresses of daily life and manage
times of change and uncertainty.
Mental health Continuum
 Types of mental health problems

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Eating problems
• Schizophrenia
• Phobias
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Personality disorders
• PTSD
 Suicidal feelings

• Suicidal feelings can range from being

preoccupied by abstract thoughts about ending
your life, or feeling that people would be better off
without you, to thinking about methods of suicide,
or making clear plans to take your own life.

• If you are feeling suicidal, you might be scared or

confused by these feelings. But you are not alone.
Many people think about suicide at some point in
their lifetime
 How can I help someone experiencing suicidal
feelings?

• Try not to judge

• Talk to the person about how they feel
• Encourage them to get help
• Ask them how you can help
• Help them stay safe
• Look out for warning signs
 What is Stress ?

“Stress is the adverse reaction people

have to excessive pressure or other
types of demand placed on them”
Health and Safety Executive
Stress versus good pressure
What are mental health problems?
• Mental health problems can affect any of us irrespective of
age, personality or background.
• They include a wide range of experiences and can affect the
way people think, feel or behave.
• They can appear as a result of experiences in both our
personal and working lives – or they can come about without
any easily identifiable cause.
• Some problems may be mild or moderate while others may
take on a more severe form, affecting a person’s ability to
cope with day-to-day living.
 Types of mental health problems

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Eating problems
• Schizophrenia
• Phobias
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Bipolar disorder
• Personality disorders
• PTSD
 Psychosis

Psychosis is when you perceive or interpret reality in

a very different way from people around you.
 
Can take the form of:
• Hallucinations
• Delusions
• Disorganised thinking and speech
How can I help myself or someone else?

• Self-care
• Treatment options
• Recovery
• Peer support
Managing conversations
Being there for your colleague

Champions @

sharing their stories - video

How might you start the conversation?

• Show your support

• Ask how you can help
• Be open-minded
• Don’t just talk about mental health
• Show trust and respect
• Look after yourself
• Be patient
Signposting

• Your Employee Assistance Programme

• Information that’s available from unions and other membership
bodies
• Disability Support Groups
• External organisations that offer mental health support, such as your
local Mind
• Information around how to access counselling or therapy in your
local area
• Local and national helplines
• Online peer support resources e.g. Elefriends www.elefriends.org.uk
• Samaritans: free phone 116 123 (UK) or email jo@samaritans.org
• Mind website: http://www.mind.org.uk/
• Rethink – Mental Illness website: https://www.rethink.org/
• Create your own signposting list
Mental wellbeing is just as
important as physical wellbeing,
and you need to maintain both in
order to stay fit and healthy
How you can look after your wellbeing

https://www.flickr.com/photos/sachac/
How you can look after your wellbeing

• Talk about the way you feel

• Identify your triggers
• Do something you enjoy
• Take time to relax
• Make a plan to stay well – Wellness
Action Plan
• Think about what helps you if you start
feeling overwhelmed
• Be kind to yourself – we are all
human!