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MENTAL HEALTH: Highland Community Planning Partnership share online resources to promote positive mental health and to tackle stigma around the issue


By Louise Glen

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Mental Health Day is being supported by Highland Council.
Mental Health Day is being supported by Highland Council.

Highland Community Planning Partnership share online resources to promote positive mental health and to tackle stigma around the issue.

Marking World Mental Health Day on Sunday (October 10) the organisation wants to promote positive mental health, raise awareness of mental health difficulties and to tackle stigma.

In Scotland around one in three people are estimated to be affected by mental health difficulties in any year.

The Highland Community Planning Partnership, mental health and wellbeing delivery group have developed resources which helps individuals and communities find trusted sources of support for mental health and wellbeing including: where to get help in a crisis; resources/weblinks to support our mental wellbeing; and learning tools to build skills and confidence in conversations about mental health and suicide prevention.

Louise Bussell, NHS Highland’s chief officer, said: “The pandemic had a huge impact on the mental health and wellbeing of patients, services users and the wider community as a whole and has impacted our ability to deliver mental health services in Highland.

"Our staff rose to the challenge and did everything they could to try to ensure that they could provide the support that people needed. Staff were seeing people in their garden, arranging online sessions and putting on full PPE to go into people's homes to provide the assessments and treatments that people needed.

“We recognise that today is about the spectrum of mental health from mental wellbeing to complex and enduring mental illnesses. Our pledge is that with the support of the Scottish Government, we will continue to invest in developing our Mental Health services and promote wellbeing within local communities in Highland. Our ambition is to enable all people to achieve better mental health and wellbeing.”

Highland Council's health safety and wellbeing trainer, Jim McCreath said: “Looking after our own mental wellness has never been more important. People are getting better at recognising the signs of declining mental health and to either reach out for help or seek advice for loved ones.

"Highland Council now has over 120 staff trained as volunteer mental health first aiders across the council network.

"In support of World Mental Health Day and as part of our ongoing focus on staff Mental Health and Wellbeing, the council will be running a range of training and awareness sessions over winter.

"As a mental health first aider and wellbeing trainer, I notice that when people reach out for support or to talk there is a feeling of relief from opening up and talking to someone. On World Mental Health Day, I encourage everyone to speak openly about mental health and wellbeing.”

For further information, please visit https://www.highlandcpp.org.uk/publications-and-reports.html.

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