As May was mental health (MH) awareness month, it seemed fitting to have this as our topic of conversation at the last community meeting. Before our conversation, we were reminded of the importance to reach out for support during or after the conversation if this was needed.
We began with sharing some personal experiences, highlighting the impact watching someone a person loves and cares about struggling with MH issues has on close family members; thoughts about whether there’s been progress in talking about MH struggles and if it was possible to talk about MH with less stigma than 10-20 years ago (or longer). In general, it was felt there is more awareness of how we impact each other, while recognizing the same interaction may cause a different emotion or reaction in each person. This awareness can and has helped encourage people to connect with others to improve their MH but the detrimental effect of isolation and loneliness on people’s MH was especially concerning. We also acknowledged generational differences in what may impact a person’s MH, for example a young person may experience pressures from social media, which older generations are unaware of.
There were a variety of things people found important in spreading MH awareness, such as: listening and being able to relate, and taking part in the Mental Health First Aid course that’s available. We talked about there being a close link between MH and well-being and how these connect to TC. Being a predominately female group, there was some discussion about post and ante-natal MH issues. This led us to consider how the conversation might have been different if there had been more male influence. It was also pointed out that MH issues connected to childbirth have also been identified in men. This led onto the question, “Is it easier for women to talk about their MH?”.
Sadly, we had run out of time at this point, so we were unable to unpack this question or our thoughts. We noted that this conversation could have continued for much longer and maybe the topic can be revisited in the future, perhaps for a full-length session.
We ended the community meeting with some people giving a word or phrase summing up what they felt of this conversation:
Strength in unity; Challenging; More on this; Enlightening; Great session; Thoughtful.
Juanita
EdIf you would like to know more about the Mental Health First Aid course referred to, please contact Tracey Collins wellbeing@swpmethodist.org.uk