Advice, information and support…
We look at the currently available mental health websites in 2019
Here’s our 2019 survey of some of the most high profile and popular websites that focus on mental health for individuals, employees, children and families.
Not an exhaustive list, here’s what we found, it may offer a shortcut to the right information and support for you or someone you know.
Click on the links provided to open the website in a new browser window.
www.mind.org.uk
Mind is probably the most well known provider of mental health advice and support, and works to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. The charity also campaigns to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. The website itself is easy to navigate and provides a mine of information with plenty of downloadable documents to support individuals and organisations. Mind provides phone help and text services.
The Mental Health A-Z covers virtually everything you might want to know about mental health, from explaining a wide range of different diagnoses and the Human Rights Act to workplace mental health and student wellbeing. There are 115 areas addressed and each area has a downloadable PDF for the interested reader.
The website also provides information on supporting others with mental ill-health, guides to support and services, types of mental disorders, drugs and treatments, tips for everyday living, help lines and personal stories.
With regards to mental health in the workplace, a dedicated section includes details of available training events, free webinars, links to other key contributors, such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and toolkits to help assess and develop a healthy workplace. Specifically, this section, offers an opportunity to sign up to the Workplace Well-Being Index. This provides a benchmark of best policy and practice. It helps organisations find out where performance is good and where improvements could be made.
The section on taking care of yourself at work offers 5 Ways to Wellbeing – evidence-based actions that improve resilience, supported by a Top Tips sub-section, listing ideas for looking after mental health at work and achieving a good work-life balance.
The Wellness Action Plans (WAPs) can also be found in the Workplace Wellbeing section, offering a really helpful framework for opening up conversations about mental health and empowering individuals to support their own mental health at work
Finally, the site has a separate Mental Health at Work page, offering resources, toolkits, and case studies developed to help managers understand mental health issues. It also offers organisations the opportunity to purchase a licence to either access eLearning or host ebooks on their intranet, for easy access to helpful information on topics including ‘How to be mentally healthy at work’ and ‘How to cope with supporting someone else’.
www.rethink.org
rethink is aimed at those experiencing mental health issues and their carers. The Advice and Information section focuses on important information surrounding mental health law and advice of rights and restrictions, including your rights to drive, insurance, the use of advocacy, and confidentiality.
The website also offers specific information about depression, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, Dissociation and Dissociative Disorder, eating disorders, personality disorders, Schizoaffective Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, drugs, alcohol and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychosis, Cannabis and mental health and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The information offered also includes downloadable fact sheets on each of the disorders.
It is worth noting that there is some particularly powerful information on Schizophrenia. The reader is able to access a link to a TED talk of a woman and her experience of managing her schizophrenia, which helps normalise the experience and allows people to take on a message of hope related to the diagnosis; other factsheets are available and have links to self help groups.
There is also a link to the Department of Health – Advice for Employers on workplace adjustments for mental health conditions. This sets out the legal duties of an employer with worked examples of managers’ legal responsibilities with regards to employees with mental health issues.
www.sane.org.uk
SANE is a UK wide charity, with the aims of raising awareness and combatting stigma about mental illness, educating and campaigning to improve mental health services; to provide care and emotional support for those with mental health issues, their families and careers as well as information for other organisations and the public and finally to research the causes and treatments of serious mental illness. The Charity offers support, including a helpline and text service.
SANE supports the Black Dog Tribe project, brainchild of Ruby Wax and Dr Nina Storms, which is a social networking platform dedicated to mental health, both nationally and internationally. It deals with everyday experiences and the impact mental illness has on everyone with a sense of community for sufferers and carers. The How You can Help page offers suggestions of how to approach a person that you feel may be suffering.
The site explores some common mental health conditions, their causes, symptoms and treatment options and offers downloadable information sheets, including links to other sites for Agoraphobia and Body Dysmorphia, plus organisations including the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (helping the reader to find a registered councillor in their area) National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence, RCPsych, Royal College of Nursing and UKCP.
In addition, there are information sheets for those who are going to be carers for those with mental health issues, which are written in an informative and compassionate way with some good information of the demands placed on people. There are support forums for people to access and ask questions or write about experiences for others to engage with, as well as a page for people blogging about areas of mental illness.
The website also offers support for those who are trying to navigate the benefits system, in particular those who are trying to apply for employment and support allowance (ESA) or personal independence payment (PIP); information is supplied through two web-apps which are linked to from the website.
One particular area of current support is Headstart – a practical, educational and motivational support programme for people with Schizophrenia to be completed with a Healthcare Professional and help develop skills and manage their condition better. Developed in conjunction with psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health nurses, this focuses directly on the work that people could engage in to support people with this condition.
www.anxiousminds.co.uk
Largely focused in the Northeast of England, the founder of anxiousminds was diagnosed with a range of mental health issues after he left the armed forces on completions on 22 years service and struggled to find support. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the services offered to veterans are significant, with BACP or UKCP counsellors on hand to offer talking therapies, as well as support groups, and the first gender-specific mental health service for women veterans. The reader has to sign up to access the information. One of the benefits of this website is that there is a text to speech function on the site allowing those with impaired sight.
Their aim is to become a lead provider in educating and supporting people to manage and overcome mental health issues in the North East. They believe in empowering people to understand their conditions and the choices available, offering Drop-in centres, Peer support Groups, Counselling services, Well-being classes and Workshops and an Online Community Website.
The website introduces the ‘Let’s talk’ Project, for those with anxiety and depression. They also offer counselling and listening services for people, CPD and training for those supporting people with mental health issues, including mental health awareness and the rules and regulation around sectioning.
The site also introduces a recovery college, where people can access courses such as Be a More confident Public Speaker. Alongside this are some online courses which offer psycho educational lectures on topics such as mindfulness and Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills, however the person has to log into the webpage to access this; there is the option of a free app to help those who are struggling. No information is given on the website for those who are looking to support those who are suffering with mental health difficulties.
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk
The Centre for Mental Health is a Charity providing research, economical analysis and policy influence in the mental health arena, with a decade of work that also expands into wellbeing. They provide a research base and help to “translate complex issues in Mental Health into accessible briefings”. They promote up to date legislation relating to mental Health, often responding to Government plans.
In the section Our Work, the website discusses a number of different areas. One of these is IPS (Individual Placement and Support), which supports people with severe mental health difficulties into employment; this focuses on a ‘place then train’ model. IPS involves intensive, individual support, a rapid job search followed by placement in paid employment, with support for employer and employee, which is time unlimited in work. On this page there are a number of IPS stories, all of which evidence the benefits of being in employment for people with mental health difficulties and talk through some of the practicalities that need to be considered when working around the nuances of people with mental health issues, such as medication making people drowsy at certain times of the day.
The other areas of focus include young people, children and families, veterans and again the Charity’s research is used to inform the reader. For example, research identifying the cost to the wider society of the mental health problems among people with physical illnesses.
This is a good website for information relating to current thinking and evidence around the impact and policy’s relating to Mental Health and society. It also gives some great information about the services that it can offer, including the IPS system. It also promotes the work they are doing in local councils in order to promote better mental health.
www.health.org.uk/topics/mental-health
Created by The Health Foundation, an independent Charity committed to bringing about better health and healthcare for people in the UK, with the aim to promote healthy lives for all; their role is giving grants to those working at the frontline, to carrying out research and policy analysis. In their website there is a section on Mental Health, which reports on the projects they are involved in, to support improvements in mental health services. This is very much a resource for those who work in mental health services and how to improve the service provided.
Some of the research available looks at the wellbeing strategy for staff in the NHS and directs the reader to look at the NHS England Healthy Workplace Framework (2018), which outlines things employers can do to provide a healthy workplace. Searching the research and responses supplied offers readers some interesting suggestions as to how to improve wellbeing within work.
www.nipinthebud.org
This charity was set up to encourage awareness about mental health disorders in young children. It has done this by creating short films and fact sheets to help teachers, parents and others caring for and working with children recognise mental health disorders and inform them of how to obtain professional assessments. The current films address ADHD, anxiety, Conduct Disorder, depression, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), all of which come with a fact sheet explaining the different conditions with information about their symptoms and advice on how to get help.
www.mentalhealth-uk.org
Mental Health UK brings together four national mental health charities working around the UK: Rethink Mental Illness, Support in Mind Scotland, Halal and Mind Wise. This allows the website to offer services relevant to the readers’ area, be that England, Scotland or Wales. Due to their links with the Lloyd Banking Group, they have also been able to develop a service that offers advice and information about benefit payments and budget management, as well as a referral only phone line for personalised support on mental health and money advice. In addition they offer support to young people through a programme targeting 14 to 18 year-olds, and working alongside teachers to support and train them in the course content that is offered.
From the homepage, the reader is able to access a range of good reference information on some of the more common mental health conditions, including anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, eating disorders, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), psychosis, Schizoaffective disorder and Schizophrenia.
Within the Help and Information section, they have a number of resources for the workplace and these can be printed off as booklets. These include 5 Top Tips for Mental Wellbeing, Managing Stress and Building Resilience in the Workplace, as well as videos of people talking through their experiences of how they improved their own mental health at work. The site also offers downloadable posters for the workplace to raise awareness of the issues. Furthermore, they have a Live your best Working Life section, which focuses on useful tips. A particularly interesting one offers the advice of ‘take your thoughts to court’- a cognitive behavioural technique which helps address negative thinking.
www.nhs.co.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters
The NHS online offers a great health resource and, part of their One You section, promotes the Every Mind Matters initiative. Offering an introduction and way to understand our own mental health, some ideas around how to make changes to better support ourselves and signpost to relevant support and guidance, you can take a five question quiz that offers tailored advice – My Mind Plan – dependent on your answers.
Offering good, sound, introductory advice, support and signposting for individuals, the site address five key areas: mental wellbeing, stress, anxiety, sleep and low mood. It also offers urgent support advice for adults and young people, together with ways in which to support others as well as ourselves.
www.time-to-change.org.uk
Time to Change reflects a social movement to encourage us all to openly discuss mental health problems and to remove the stigma and discrimination surrounding them. The homepage has a Myths and Facts section that directly addresses stereotypes associated with mental health. You will find a video and discussion relating to how to support someone with a mental health problem, both friend and colleague. There are also suggestions as to how to start the conversation with someone. Information is also provided on the following disorders; anxiety and panic attacks, Bipolar Disorder, depression, eating disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Personality Disorder, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), self-harm and suicidal feelings.
As the ‘how’, to develop positive attitudes around mental health is the primary focus, the website works to enable people and employers to increase the support for positive mental health in the workplace. Free posters, leaflets and logos for schools, workplace and community are available. Within the Get your employer involved section, support is given to employees to encourage their managers to sign up to a Time to Change Employer Pledge with action plans and guidance based on the principles of the 2017, Thriving at Work Report. A link is available to a half-hour YouTube presentation by Professor Sir Cary Cooper CBE, which focuses upon the costs of little or no wellbeing culture, what causes stress and what can be done about it – an interesting discussion point with employers and employees.
Under the section Support for Employers, you’ll find a link to the Mental Health at Work Gateway, which offers access to tools, resources and information to help support employee’s wellbeing (mentalhealthatwork.org.uk). Through this link, a huge amount of resources are on offer, from factsheets and publications, to videos describing stress and how it can be managed.
Guidance is offered to employees in seeking assistance with any workplace discrimination, directing them to services available within the organisation and referencing their legal rights (Equality Act 2010) and offering useful links to Mind’s website and their legal advice service. Further to this, many personal stories and experiences are offered and the website advertises Time to Change network hubs in local areas.
www.youngminds.org.uk
Young Minds as the name suggests this organisation target young people and their parents; it is also a good starting point for professionals working with young people. This charity’s mission is to “Lead the fight for a future where all young minds are supported and empowered, whatever the challenges.” They are very active in writing responses to current political issues associated with mental health and young people and have a page dedicated to their policy reports, helping any reader to identify with the current issues within the field. There is a crisis line for those who need support, as well as texts lines and a direct link to Child Line and the Samaritans.
The site focuses on issues likely to be faced by young people, such as bullying, exam stress and problems at school, but also talks about eating problems, grief and loss, anger, abuse, body image, self-harm, suicidal feelings and sleep problems. Clicking onto each of these issues on the webpage, takes you to further information and videos, helping the reader understand more and offering advice and tips to the person suffering. There are also blogs offered raising specific issues such as bullying and autism.
Parents will find support and advice offered including a free parent’s helpline, as well as advice on how to have difficult conversations with their child to managing childhood anxiety. They offer a Parents Guide to Support A-Z, that offers advice on a range of issues related to children, including abuse, ADHD, exams and gender identity issues, gain offering further links to other avenues of support and information. The focus is on supporting parents to support the child but also look after themselves at work.
Guides offered for the reader include downloadable information on, ADHD, Anorexia, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Bulimia, depression, Mania and Hypomania, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) , Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Psychosis, Schizophrenia, and Autism. The focus on Autism is possibly due to this developmental disorder in children. The reader will find a link to the National Autistic Society webpage and there is information in how to support children with Special educational Needs and Difficulties (SEND) at school, college or university. Information is also given to guide people in accessing the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), legal rights under CAMHS and a method of identifying the readers nearest CAMHS service.
The Charity offers training on courses for professionals working with young people and children, focusing on anxiety, resilience, self-harm, social media and adolescent mental health, as well as consultancy with mental health services and schools, offering a 360-degree schools programme which help focus on wellbeing. Some different resources are available including books for sale, for example, The Wise Mouse, a book aimed to help five to 11-year-olds understand what is happening to a family member who maybe experiencing a mental illness.
www.amha.org.uk
AMHA is the Autism Mental Health Awareness project, with the aim to raise awareness of those who are on the Autistic Spectrum, those with mental illness and those with comorbid conditions alongside their autism. The premise of the website is to be a platform for people to share stories of their experiences of mental health issues. The developer, Sonny Hawkins, is a service user with a history of mental illness and a diagnosis of Asperger Syndrome.
The stories, particularly those by Sonny Hawkins, give an interesting insight into the difficulties suffered by those on the autism spectrum, talking about the need for routine and structure and some of the sensory issues that can accompany the condition. The website also includes useful YouTube clips.
This website does not offer guidelines and resources for people to print and use, however it does help in understanding the experience of those having to deal with these diagnoses and see how it impacts upon them on them everyday.
www.headstogether.org.uk
Headstogether is spearheaded by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. It is targeted mainly at young people, the homeless and veterans; their overall aim to tackle stigma associated with mental illness. The charity is partnered with a number of other charities, including Mind and Youngminds, as well as the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), The Mix, Best Beginnings, Place2be and Anna Freud.
The reader is offered instant links to support, for those suffering mental health issues, Shout Crisis text line offering immediate support, as well as an information providing service via Mind or a male only support line via CALM.
They also work supporting maternal mental health looking at early intervention, from support for mothers, parents and teachers to help give children a better start in life. Secondly, the focus is on the Armed Forces Community and developing a more constructive understanding of promoting good mental fitness across the military.
Another aspect includes Mentally Healthy Schools – a website is link which brings together information advice and resources to help primary schools understand and promote children’s mental health and wellbeing, with the aim of increasing staff awareness, inform and develop confidence in order to help the children they work with. Teaching resources are offered as well as advice on issues that can undermine a child’s mental health.
The website also links the reader to Guidance for Managers in the support and disclosure of mental health problems by employees, created by the Campaign Time for Change. In addition, there are links to Mind and free resources to for business, including, People managers guide to Mental Health (September 2018) and Introduction to Mentally Healthy Workplaces and many others.
The final initiative on the website is Workplace Wellbeing, reporting that Mental Ill Health is costing UK businesses £35 billion annually and is the leading cause of sickness in the UK, with 127 million hours work lost in 2015 due to mental health related absences. In conjunction with Mind, the Royal Foundation has been developing the Heads Together Workplace Wellbeing Programme, which delivers much of the help and support recommended by the Government-mandated report Thriving at Work. The programme concentrated on the employer, by offering an Employer Gateway – an online portal offering resources for employers to address workplace mental health constructively, and employees by offering online Employee Training aimed to equip employees with information and training about workplace mental health (although not freely accessed through the website, it does however give a direct link to the MentalHealthatwork.org.uk page, which talks about these issues.
