BACP spokesman and Head of Policy and Public Affairs Martin Bell calls upon Rishi Sunak to offer more in the way of Mental Health support as part of the Spring Statement.

Cost of living increases will have a significant impact upon the mental health of many in our country. As Martin says: “We’d like to have seen the Chancellor provide additional investment in mental health services today, including counselling and psychotherapy, to support those with financial worries as part of a more holistic response.”

Clear links between poverty and mental health mean that the days we are living in now may have a detrimental impact on many. Packages to support them from government are much needed. Read more from BACP >

Reacting to the announcements, Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

“While the announcement today by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the Household Support Fund will double to £1 billion is welcome, this measure falls far from the level of support that households struggling with the cost of living truly needed. With inflation at sky high levels, an eight per cent increase to benefit payments in line with the increases in the cost of living was the bare minimum the Chancellor needed to announce today. Without this increase we will see people already struggling, many with mental health issues, plunged into further financial distress by what amounts to the second cut to their household income in less than six months”. Read more from Mind’s website >

Please don’t hesitate to contact Rainbow for more information on counselling support and coping strategies.

Related topic from the Money & Mental Health Policy Institute:
Why the Spring Statement doesn’t go far enough to support people with mental health problems >

Each year on 10 September various organisations come together to raise awareness of issues surrounding suicide and work towards a world where fewer people reach the point of taking their own life. This year the theme is ‘Hope’.​

The Samaritans have pulled together some ideas for how to create hope in your life. These include a gratitude journal, going for a walk with a friend and taking time to pause and reflect. Check out these suggestions in their article here >

BACP members reflect on what Hope means for them as they work with clients in the counselling room. Check out some videos here >

Take some time to pause and reflect…

What creates hope in your life?
How do you find hope when you are struggling?

And as always, remember Rainbow counsellors are here to help if you or a loved one are battling thoughts of suicide.

Johnny Flynn and James O’Brien share their experience of having therapy on BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live.

L:sten in on the BBC Sounds show here > and hear how therapy has benefitted their lives in many ways.

Musician and actor Johnny Flynn and broadcaster and author James O’Brien share their experiences on Radio 4. Both shared a desire to seek out counselling following experiences of attending boarding school amongst other things. Read more from the BAPC article >

Remember if your mental health has been impacted by recent events, we at Rainbow are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us >

A huge 75% of us say that our mental health has been impacted by the pandemic. Research from the Public Perceptions Survey found that three quarters of us have been negatively impacted.

Most commonly the separation from friends and family has been a key issue. Other concerns have included fear for the health of loved ones, particularly those vulnerable to Covid-19, feeling isolated and job worries.

More than two thirds of us believe mental health should be prioritised as we recover from the pandemic.

Check out the full article from BACP > including a helpful infographic which highlights some of the key figures from the research. And as always please remember if your mental health has been impacted by recent events, we at Rainbow are here to help.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us >

A range of mental health issues are to be targeted by the new plan that is being rolled out by the government in the face of the surge in mental health support required as a result of the events of the last year.​

The plan, published in March this year, aims to specifically target those who may have been most affected, such as young people and frontline workers.

The NHS will be expanding its IAPT service with an additional £38 million backing from the government to target a range of issues such as anxiety, depression and PTSD. Specialist therapists will also be trained for more complex work or severe mental illness.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “As part of our response to this global pandemic we not only want to tackle the public health threat of coronavirus but ensure our clinicians have the resources to deal with the impact on people’s mental health.”

Check out www.Gov.uk’s web page > which offers more information about the support which will be being offered.

Please feel free to contact Rainbow today if this is something that may be affecting you.

New, expectant or bereaved mothers are to be offered mental health help and support through new hubs being set up by the NHS across the country.

A range of help will be available as part of the NHS Long Term Plan and support will include help for PTSD following childbirth, childbirth fears and a wide range of mental health issues which may affect this time in a mother’s life.

NHS England Chief Exec Simon Stevens said: “The pregnancy and birth of a new child are a special time for families but if things go wrong it can have a huge impact on women, their partners and even other children”.

Find out more at the NHS article here >

Please feel free to contact Rainbow today if this is something that may be affecting you.

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) in conjunction with 25 professional partners and supported by a host of professionals in the mental health field, has spearheaded a campaign for urgent mental health care as the impact of the coronavirus and lockdown takes its toll on our country.

BACP’s CEO, Haydn Williams reports on the progressing campaign: “Through our campaign we’ve already secured excellent support and buy-in from politicians across the parliaments of the four nations.”

Many will be aware that because of this current climate demand for mental health services will be increasing, not least because of the impact of greater loneliness, grief, sickness and loss of income to name just a few issues.

Check out BACP’s news articles on their website to find out more about how the campaign has been progressing over the last few weeks, since it was first launched in the early days of lockdown. And if you are a mental health professional you can follow the links to add your voice to the campaign by writing to your MP >

Read more from BACP >

Related Mental Health Article:

Proud to be supporting our frontline workers

Disturbing figures show that whilst other crimes such as knife crime and burglary have gone down during lockdown, domestic violence has increased.

An article by the Guardian updates us on a project which has recorded more than double the average amount of domestic abuse related killings in this time.

Domestic abuse is a sad reality and exists in almost every culture, class and background and against men and women. It takes a huge amount of courage to speak out if this is something that you have been facing, and sometimes it is hard to even accept that that is exactly what is happening.

Do any of the following apply to you?

Do you change your behaviour because you are afraid of your partner’s reaction?
Is your partner jealous and possessive?
Do you feel like you are walking on egg shells?
Do you feel controlled, or isolated?

If so, you may be a victim of domestic abuse.

We have put together some useful helplines and websites for those who may be suffering in this way. And of course here at Rainbow our team of counsellors can help you to work through some of the issues related to this as well. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Helplines:

National Domestic Abuse Helpline, visit: www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk  0808 2000 247

Women’s Aid, visit: www.womensaid.org.uk

The Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327

National LGBT+ Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0800 999 5428

Relevant Source: Domestic abuse killings ‘more than double’ amid Covid-19 lockdown  | The Guardian >