Mental Wellbeing

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.

The following resources are available to support people who are experiencing mental health challenges, however if they are in crisis and need urgent access to support please go to the URGENT MENTAL HEALTH section of MECC Link where you can find advice and local support services for mental health emergencies.

If you are worried that someone is at risk of suicide, please also see the section for Suicide Prevention.

If anyone experiences low mental wellbeing over a long period of time they are more likely to develop a mental health problem.  If someone already has a mental health problem, they are more likely to experience periods of low mental wellbeing than someone who hasn't. But that doesn't mean the person won't have periods of good wellbeing.

The Very Brief Intervention (VBI) below recognise the perception that it can be difficult to start a conversation about a person’s mental wellbeing. The following VBI uses advice from 'Time to Change' which is led by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness.  As well as self care resources, the 'Act' section provides details of support services for the following specific groups: 

  • Adults
  • Children and Young People
  • Parents
  • Perinatal
  • Carers
  • Refugees and Asylum Seekers
  • Veterans

Our Mental health can be affected at any time in our lives, whether this is because of a relationship breakdown, a bereavement or financial worries so let’s get taking about mental health, it’s OK to ask!

Very Brief Intervention

Ask

How are you?
How are you feeling at the moment?
What’s been happening for you recently?

Assist

You mentioned you are feeling low, why do you think that is?
What have you been doing to make yourself feel better?
What more would you like to do or do more of that would help?

Reflect back what has been said to you;

You said you have not been sleeping well, tell me a bit more about that?

It may be worth asking about the causes and what could possibly be done to address them e.g. debt management, housing support, stress management. 

Act

The following resources are available to support people who are experiencing mental health challenges, however if they are in crisis and need urgent access to support, please go to the URGENT MENTAL HEALTH section of MECC Link where you can find local support services for mental health emergencies.

For non-urgent mental health support, encourage the person to contact their GP.  Always give reassurances that there are lots of sources for support, however they wish to access and use them.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see listings of local support services in their borough.

Self Care Resources

  • Good Thinking provides digital mental wellbeing support for Londoners. This includes free NHS-approved apps to help you deal with stress, anxiety, low mood and poor sleep. 
  • Every Mind Matters is an NHS-approved digital hub full of expert advice and practical tips to achieve good mental health. 
  • The NHS have other self-help tools available, including 5 steps to mental wellbeing.
  • Mind 'The charity for better mental health' has an extensive range of self help resources available.
  • For Men -CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer accredited, confidential and free support to men anywhere in the UK through a helpline and web and webchat service.

Support Services

Adults

Adults can self-refer to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services. IAPT is a national NHS programme, which offers evidence based psychological therapies or interventions approved by the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). IAPT is primarily for treating people with mild to moderate mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

IAPT treatments are delivered via a stepped care model where patients are initially offered low intensity therapies, such as computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) and guided self-help. If these treatments are unsuccessful, or not appropriate for individuals, higher intensity therapies are utilised and include one to one cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or interpersonal therapy (IPT). Please see local support and contact details for further information.

Children and Young People

The Mix is a leading support service that can help young people to take on challenges they are facing - from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. 

0808 0808 4994 (Freephone)

Parents

YoungMinds run a free, confidential parents helpline, which parents/careers can call if they are worried about how a child or young person is feeling or behaving.  They also run a group called Parents Say, for parents whose children are accessing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Perinatal

The PANDAS Foundation supports and advises parents who is experiencing a perinatal mental illness. They also inform and guide family members, carers, friends and employers as to how they can support someone who is suffering.

0843 2898401 (0900 - 2000 hrs, 7 days per week)

Carers

The Carers Trust contains helpful guides for carers on relationship management and information on self-care and respite care.

Refugees and asylum seekers

Thrive LDN have produced a number of resources designed to support new arrivals to the UK, including:

Good Thinking’s 'Coping with Trauma' workbook outlines seven techniques to help people who have experienced trauma.

Veterans

Veterans Combat Stress is the UK's leading mental health charity for veterans. They offer free, confidential 24-hour support to Service and ex-Service personnel who are experiencing mental health issues, including feeling suicidal.

0800 138 1619

Local Support and Contact Details