Public Health England, in partnership with the NHS, launches Every Mind Matters, a new way of empowering people to manage and improve their mental health.
A new PHE survey reveals more than eight in ten (83%) people have experienced early signs of poor mental health including feeling anxious, stressed, having low mood or trouble sleeping in the last 12 months. While these can be a natural response to life’s challenges, they can become more serious if people don’t take action – and many wait too long.
Every Mind Matters shows people the simple steps they can take to be better prepared for life’s ups and downs.
The launch follows eighteen months of planning and regional piloting, which Samaritans took part in. The campaign was developed with advice on approach and content from Samaritans and other national mental health charities, including MIND, Heads Together, Mental Health Foundation and many more, clinical and academic experts and input from people with experience of poor mental health. The campaign website and online tool also includes the phone number for Samaritans free 24-hour listening service to encourage anyone who needs emotional support to get in touch.
The free NHS-approved online tool, Every Mind Matters shows people how to build simple changes into their daily lives – such as re-framing unhelpful thoughts, breathing exercises and increasing physical activity.
This new resource is available for the public and for GPs to advise their patients to use. The NHS will also promote Every Mind Matters to its one-million plus workforce.
Samaritans CEO Ruth Sutherland said: “We are proud to have contributed to the development of Every Mind Matters. There’s never been a better time to push mental health to the top of the nation’s public health agenda.
“The free online tool is a great resource to help people look after their mental health, build coping mechanisms and enhance their resilience to the challenges we all face day to day.
“We welcome Every Mind Matters and the important role it can play in England in complementing the vital services that Samaritans and others provide every day.”
Some of the nation’s biggest companies have pledged to adopt Every Mind Matters for their employees, customers and fans, including Nationwide, Greggs and the England and Wales Cricket Board.
A special film to promote Every Mind Matters has been written by Richard Curtis and directed by Rankin, narrated by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It shows how we can all look after our mental health and will broadcast on ITV, Channel 4 and Sky channels in October.
The film features a range of people whose lives have been affected by poor mental health, including a cast of well-known faces: Gillian Anderson, Glenn Close, Freddie Flintoff, Professor Green, Davina McCall, Jordan Stephens, Will Young, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Nadiya Hussain, Sarah Taylor, Rob Beckett, Katie Piper, Joe Sugg and Alastair Campbell.