In such uncertain times, this year’s World Mental Health Day was more than ever an issue that affected each and every one of us. Read about why our mental wellbeing is so important.
Whatever your experience living through it has been, the Covid-19 crisis is at the forefront of all of our minds. Aptly, this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day on 10 October was “mental health for all.”
We all have mental health, and it matters as much as our physical health. One study found that 1 in 6 people had experienced a common mental health problem in the previous week.
The most common problems are anxiety and depression, according to the Mental Health Foundation. These can be severe and long lasting, and can have a big impact on people’s ability to cope.
Often, people suffer with a mental health problem as they’re afraid of how people will react if they tell them about it.
But it’s really important you do seek help and talk to your GP if you are struggling. These are some services and organisations that offer help and support to people experiencing mental health issues.
We also have a range of articles on our website on how you might be feeling before and after having a baby, and how to deal with anxiety about coronavirus. There’s information to support dads experiencing depression, too.
Recently, we campaigned for a better six week postnatal check for new mothers. Of 1,000 women we surveyed who’d recently had a baby, half had had a mental health or emotional problem.
However of these, almost half hadn’t had their problem identified by a health professional, and hadn’t received the treatment they needed.
We were delighted that by February 2020, the English government had listened and announced that GP postnatal checks would be funded in England from April 2020.
This means that every new mum will be entitled to a dedicated appointment with her GP practice at around 6-8 weeks after having a baby, to discuss her own health and mental health.
We are now pushing for the governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to do the same.
If you live in one of those countries and could help us, please email campaign@nct.org.uk.
Read our tips on how to cope with anxiety about coronavirus.
We have lots of articles on how you might be feeling when you’re pregnant and after the birth of your baby.
Dads can suffer from mental health issues too. Men can find support and information on our website.
Find out more about our #HiddenHalf campaign and what we’re hoping to achieve next.
If you’ve been experiencing mental health issues because of the coronavirus outbreak, learn more about how you can manage your wellbeing on the Mental Health Foundation website.
