News Release, 19 December 2002
One in four people will have mental health problems in the coming year. This is why the Mental Health Foundation is urging everyone to make looking after their mental wellbeing their number one resolution for 2003. Help yourself, friends and family cope with the stresses and strains of life with the Mental Health Foundation’s guide to mental wellbeing.
Toby Williamson, Head of Strategies for Living at the Mental Health Foundation says, ‘After the highs of the Christmas festivities, the start of a New Year can seem daunting. When all the parties are over, all the money is spent and the weather is at its worst, the New Year can put mental wellbeing at risk.’
Exercise
Post Christmas exercise is often associated with shedding the excess pounds gained during the eating frenzy of the festive season. Yet research shows that exercise is one of the most effective ways to beat stress and depression. A study recently published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that exercise may be more effective than drugs in treating mild to moderate depression. In the study just thirty minutes of exercise a day significantly improved the moods of patients who had been suffering from depression for nine months. This doesn’t mean that you have to pound the treadmill for hours on end. A simple walk through your local park can be uplifting. What’s more, the effects of exercise on mood are immediate.
Food and mood
Starting a diet in the New Year shouldn’t just be about cutting out fatty foods to lose weight. Research has found that by avoiding certain food stressors such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate and saturated fats you can help improve your mood. Water, vegetables, fruit, oil rich fish, nuts and seeds, fibre and organic foods can also lift your spirits. Research shows that improving your diet can increase coping skills, improve confidence and help you to feel calm.
Friendship
The Mental Health Foundation report Is Anybody There? A Survey of Friendship and Mental Health. Report. Mental Health Foundation, April 2001. Found that friends are the overwhelming main source of support for people with mental health problems. Out of those surveyed 67 per cent of their friends offered understanding and 71 per cent showed concern. Just listening and talking to friends who are feeling down can make a huge difference. So make sure your devote time to maintaining your friendships both for their sake and your own.
Out at work
Ninety one million working days a year are lost to mental ill-health in the UK, yet work gives many people purpose, a sense of identity and can help maintain mental wellbeing. So why don’t you make it your New Year’s resolution to promote mental health in your work place? As an employee, it helps to remind colleagues to take a break and look after themselves. People work more effectively and creatively when they are happy. In a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) survey of over 800 companies, 98 per cent of respondents said they thought that the mental health of employees should be a company concern. The large majority (81 per cent) considered that mental health of staff should be part of company policy. Yet only one in ten companies has an official policy on mental health. If you’re a manager why don’t you do a mental well-being audit of your workforce, as well as a financial one – you can find out how to do this by contacting the Mental Health Foundation.
- Read it online: Out at Work: A survey of the experiences of people with mental health problems within the workplace. Report. Mental Health Foundation, April 2002.
Pull yourself together
According to research from the Mental Health Foundation 70 per cent of people in the UK have experienced discrimination in response to their own or another’s mental distress. Over 60 per cent of respondents to the study who had experienced mental distress also said that they could not tell people for fear of discrimination and stigma. Many false assumptions are made about people who suffer from a mental health problem, such as they aren’t reliable, they moan a lot and they’re dangerous. So this New Year why not examine your own thoughts and perceptions of mental health. People with mental health problems need support and understanding, not prejudice.
- Read it online: Pull Yourself Together! A survey of the stigma and discrimination faced by people who experience mental distress. Report. Mental Health Foundation, 2000.
Depression
This New Year improve your knowledge of the one illness that the World Health Organisation says will be the most debilitating in the world by 2020. Symptoms include low mood, loss of interest and pleasure, feelings of worthlessness and guilt, tearfulness, poor concentration, reduced energy, reduced or increased appetite and weight, sleep problems and anxiety. People who experience depression may look to others as if they are being lazy or difficult and not doing their best to be happy. Carers and friends need to be very patient. People with depression need help and support to overcome a problem that often responds well to treatment. Showing that you care, understand and will not judge them can help a lot. If you are worried about someone with depression encourage them to see their GP and help explain how they are feeling. If necessary, accompany them on the trip.
The Mental Health Foundation has a range of useful publications, including:
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All About Anxiety. Booklet. Mental Health Foundation, 2002.
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All About Depression. Booklet. Mental Health Foundation, 2000.
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Managing Anxiety and Depression: A self-help guide. Book. Mental Health Foundation, July 1999.
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Restoring the Balance : A self-help program for managing anxiety and depression. CD ROM. Mental Health Foundation, July 2000.
Return to news releases 2002
For further information and interview requests contact please contact the press office on 020 7803 1105 / 1128 or email the press office
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