Nearly one in six adults surveyed in the West Midlands (14 per cent) who say their mental health got worse during the pandemic haven’t spoken to anyone about it during this time – equivalent to around 280,000 people – according to research published today.
Four in ten (39 per cent) of all respondents in the West Midlands reported a worsening in their mental health during the pandemic. Of those who have been concerned or are concerned about the mental health of someone they care about, almost one in four (23 per cent) say they haven’t tried to talk to them about it.
The poll was conducted as part of Time to Talk Day, a national day of conversations about mental health. The aim is to spark millions of conversations about mental health in communities, schools, homes, workplaces and online across the UK.
Time to Talk Day 2022 is run by Mind and Rethink Mental Illness in England, See Me with SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) in Scotland, Inspire and Change Your Mind in Northern Ireland and Time to Change Wales. It is being delivered in partnership with Co-op.
The partners are supporting communities across the UK to encourage mental health conversations by providing free resources, including tips on how to have the conversation, and running a UK-wide awareness campaign.
Encouragingly, of those surveyed in the West Midlands who have talked to someone, nearly three quarters (72 per cent) report at least one positive conversation, with feeling supported and feeling listened to the major reasons why it was positive. Nearly two thirds of all survey respondents (61 per cent) agreed that overall, it’s getting easier to talk about mental health[iv].
Laura Clarke, 32, lives in Birmingham with her parents. She has had mental health problems since she was a child and was under the care of CAMHS and, later, adult mental health services. In her 20s she was diagnosed with EUPD (emotionally unstable personality disorder) and during the pandemic she has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, following what she describes as a bad manic episode.
Laura has been involved in Time to Talk Day for many years, spreading the word on social media and, when she has been employed, doing activities in the workplace. She has always been open about her mental health. She says: “For me, having a conversation about my mental health is an easy thing, I am used to checking in with myself and others and it’s a natural thing to do. I wish we could get to the point where everyone felt the same.”
Like millions of others, Laura’s mental health has been affected by the pandemic. Her mental health meant she had stopped working just a couple of weeks before the pandemic hit, and then had huge difficulty getting the support she needed from the welfare system. She has found it helpful to talk, especially with her mum: “Me and my mum do this thing called Check In Time. Every day we take a few minutes where we can each say how we are doing. We are both prone to bottling up our feelings until they explode, so she suggested it and it’s been great getting into the habit of talking about we are feeling. You can do it once a week, lots of people do, but I think that can mean you build up a lot of things to talk about or else you forget. Doing it every day means you can even talk about little things – if they are important to you they are worth talking about.”
Previous research by Co-op, Mind, SAMH and Inspire showed the vital role of community for mental wellbeing. One in four respondents (28 per cent) to the national Together Through Tough Times survey said that non-judgemental spaces in the community where they could talk and listen to others would support their wellbeing. In addition to delivering Time to Talk Day 2022, Co-op colleagues, members and customers are raising £8m for Mind, SAMH and Inspire, which will fund more than 50 mental wellbeing services in communities across the UK, supporting over 10,000 people to improve their mental wellbeing.
Time To Change Worcestershire, a partnership of local voluntary and public sector organisations and people committed to ending mental health stigma, is supporting Time to Talk Day through a number of events and activities. They are supporting communities, organisations, employers and educational institutions to hold Conversation Cafes, where people can come together and talk, including several in the University of Worcester. Champions will also be heading to the Boston Tea Party in Worcester and Abbey Road Coffee in Malvern.
Amanda Wright, Development Manager for Health and Wellbeing at Community First, who coordinates the Hub, said: “We all have mental health and by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. Time to Talk Day gives us all an opportunity to reach out, talk, listen and find support and, after the last two years, this is arguably more important than ever. We know that many people have yet to have their first conversation about mental health so we are pleased to be offering opportunities in our local community for people to come and take the first step. However you do it, reach out and start a conversation about mental health this Time to Talk Day.”
The activities are being supported with a grant from Co-op. Rebecca Birkbeck, Director of Community and Shared Value at the Co-op, said: “It’s never been a more important time for us to be able to talk about how we are feeling, however, it can still be hard to speak up about our mental wellbeing. Our research has shown the vital role played by our communities in kickstarting these conversations, giving us the chance to open up whilst we are out and about. We know many people are still waiting for the right time to do that, so we’re encouraging everyone to give it a go this Time to Talk Day.”
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, the mental health charity, said: “We all have mental health and by talking about it we can support ourselves and others. The last two years have had a huge impact on us all and we know that talking can help us feel less alone, more able to cope and encouraged to seek support if we need to. However you do it, reach out and start a conversation about mental health this Time to Talk Day.”
Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said: “It’s an old cliché that it’s good to talk, but it’s clear that many people struggling with their mental health have found it difficult to have that first conversation. The isolation many of us have experienced during the pandemic can be tough on our mental health. This Time to Talk Day we’re encouraging people to reconnect with others and start conversations which can really make a difference.”
For information about Time to Talk Day, including tips on starting the conversation, visit: timetotalkday.co.uk.
Follow the conversation on social media #TimeToTalk.
