Charity programme supports practices’ mental health services

Simon Jones, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Mind Cymru, discusses the importance of open access to mental health support as the cost of living bites.

At Mind Cymru we know that experiencing poverty can often lead to poorer mental health outcomes. Stigma, stress and being unable to meet the needs of yourself and your family has a significant impact on your mental health. As the cost of living crisis has pushed more people closer to the financial edge, we have seen a steady increase in the number of people reaching out for help with both their finances and their mental health. Here in Wales our communities are in a particularly precarious position, as demonstrated by the Bevan Foundations’ own survey results, highlighting that 43 per cent of people in Wales had seen their mental health deteriorate as a result of their financial position whilst 30 per cent had seen a deterioration in their physical health. This financial crisis, coming so soon after the major disruption of the global pandemic, poses a unique threat to the mental health of the nation.

We see the impact of this firsthand. Our services are in great demand, and calls to our Infoline are becoming longer and more complex as people are seeking support for their mental health. That’s why we launched a free guided self-help programme funded by Welsh Government during the first national lockdown in 2020. It’s still going strong today.

The programme, called Active Monitoring, offers a six-week course for people with mild to moderate mental health problems. It’s free, and people don’t need to see their GP to sign up – they simply need to visit our website (Mind.org.uk/AMWales).

Originally developed as a primary care mental health service in conjunction with a GP practice, Active Monitoring fits well with the Welsh Government’s vision for providing support to people earlier, helping people to manage their mental health before it becomes too serious.

The programme is being run by our local Mind network across Wales, so support is available in all Health Board areas. It is open to anyone aged 18 or over, and is offered in both English and Welsh. Based on the principles of CBT, it has a robust evidence base and has already helped more than 12,000 people in Wales.

Once someone signs up, a fully trained Active Monitoring Practitioner will contact them to discuss their needs. The programme offers seven pathways:

– Stress

– Anxiety

– Depression

– Low Self Esteem

– Anger Management

– Grief and Loss

– Feeling Alone

People on the Active Monitoring programme speak to their practitioner once a week to discuss how they are feeling, and to get advice on working through their pathway. The programme has delivered huge improvements in people’s mental health. In a recent survey:

• The service was rated 9/10 by clients and nearly all would recommend it

• 86% of people said they had improvement in feelings of anxiety (GAD7)

• 85% felt improvement in feelings of depression (PHQ9) and;

• 85% reported an improvement in their mental wellbeing (WEMWBS).

• 99% of clients said they would recommend the service to friends and family

• Clients rated the service a 9.5/10 on average

At Mind Cymru we know that for some people the prospect of a significant wait to access support has meant a need to pay for private counselling. This is unacceptable. In this cost of living crisis no-one should be in a position where they need to choose between their basic needs and the support that helps them to manage their mental health. Active Monitoring helps people to get that help without leaving them out of pocket.