Mental Health Week

This week, mental health issues and the support available to help anyone are being highlighted through Mental Health Week and Dementia Awareness Week.

At Turn2us, we know how important it is to supporting such awareness campaigns and the help that is available to anyone affected by mental health issues. Many people who use our services have been diagnosed with mental health conditions. And, as recently reported in these news pages, debt, struggling to pay the bills and difficulties with benefits claims or fear of losing benefits are also all important factors that contribute to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Mental Health Week

Now in its 16th year, Mental Health Awareness Week this year focuses on the theme ‘Relationships in the 21st Century’ - the forgotten foundation of good mental health.

A new survey of over 2,000 UK adults commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation and conducted by YouGov has found that nearly half of UK adults (46%) regret not investing more time in the relationships that matter to them, with men more likely to feel regret than women (50% compared to 42%).

It emerged that more people identified maintaining healthy relationships as ‘most important’ to their wellbeing (38%) than those who chose eating healthily (16%), exercising (10%) and avoiding negative habits (8%) such as smoking combined.

Despite relationships appearing to be held in high esteem, we’re over three times more likely to have made a resolution to improve our physical health than our relationships with friends and family. 40% of UK adults have made a New Year’s resolution to improve their physical health and yet only 11% have made a New Year’s resolution to improve their relationships with friends and family.

The Mental Health Foundation commissioned the survey after conducting an extensive review of global evidence which overwhelmingly pointed to good-quality relationships being key in helping us to live longer and happier lives with fewer mental health problems. The Foundation points out that the influence of social relationships on health and wellbeing is comparable to well-established risk factors for mortality such as smoking.

Dementia Awareness Week

Hundreds of thousands of families in the UK are touched by dementia every year and many people don't know where to turn. In Dementia Awareness Week 2016, the Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging anyone worried about dementia to contact them for help and support.

Find out how the Alzheimer's Society can help you if you or someone close to you has dementia

Use Turn2us tools and services to find help

If you have an illness or disability, the Your situation: Ill, Injured or Disabled' section of our website has useful information on benefits, grants and other forms of support that may be available to you. You may also find other pages of the Your Situation section helpful, depending on your particular circumstances.

If you are struggling financially, you can use our Benefits Calculator to check your entitlement to benefits and our Grants Search to see if you are eligible for help from a charitable fund, based on your personal circumstances and needs.

We also have a Find an Adviser tool to help you find face-to-face advice in your local area. This includes local Mind and other mental health charities in your area.

Mental Health Week

Share