Mental Health Blog Articles

How Bipolar Disorder Identifies and How it Can Be Managed

In conjunction with World Mental Health Day 2023, this blog examines bipolar disorder, its symptoms and the help available for those with the disorder…

Mental Health is a Universal Human Right

World Mental Health Day is on 10th October and is organised by the World Federation of Mental Health in conjunction with WHO (World Health Organization). It occurs annually and is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health conditions and the effect they have on people worldwide…

The Increasing Rates of Suicide among Migrants and Asylum Seekers

World Suicide Prevention Day is on 10th September 2023 and the theme for this year is: ‘Creating Hope Through Action’. This blog will examine the increasingly troubling area of suicide among migrants and asylum seekers…

Creating Hope Through Action (2023)

World Suicide Prevention Day 2023 is a suicide awareness day which is held annually on 10th September. It is organised by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) with the aim of promoting worldwide action to prevent suicide…

The Rise in Health Anxiety

Health anxiety is a condition whereby an individual spends so much time worrying about their health and the possibility of becoming ill that it takes over their life. In the past it was referred to as hypochondria but it is now more commonly known as health anxiety…

Common Reasons for Anxiety Today

In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 and this year’s theme of ‘Anxiety’, this blog will discuss some common causes of anxiety…

World Maternal Mental Health Day 2023

Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time. However, there are certain times when things can be more difficult. Around a quarter of women experience mental health difficulties during pregnancy and up to a year after birth (AKA the perinatal period). This is a period of massive change and many women do not receive the help and support they need relating to maternal mental health…

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

Around the world, approximately 25% of pregnant women and new mothers experience some form of mental health issue. Very often, these women do not receive the support they need.

Although pregnancy and childbirth are incredible experiences, they can be extremely challenging…

Anxiety

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023 (MHAW) will take place from 15–21 May and the theme is ‘Anxiety’. MHAW provides an opportunity to understand the symptoms of anxiety and look at ways of tackling the issue.

Anxiety is a common mental health issue which many people suffer from…

Suicides in Treatment and Aftercare

Suicide is a significant health and social problem and those with any form of addiction are most at risk. Numerous studies have highlighted the link between addiction and suicide. It is well known that alcohol, and many other…

The Increase in Pre-Teen and Teenage Suicide

In conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day held on 10th September 2022, this blog examines the increase in pre-teen and teenage suicides…

The Cost of Living Crisis and Suicide

The cost of living crisis is a term that is being widely talked about in the media. The rate of inflation is increasing and petrol and diesel prices are rising fast. The cost of electricity and gas are astronomical and are set to increase further this year…

Creating Hope Through Action (2022)

World Suicide Prevention Day 2022 is an international event sponsored by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and the World Health Organization (WHO). It takes place each year on 10th September and aims to raise awareness of suicide and how it can be prevented…

Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder

This blog is part of the Mental Health Awareness Week series and examines symptoms associated with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This condition is often overlooked when discussing mental health conditions and many people are not even aware it exists…

How Does Depression Affect People?

In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Week, this blog will look at the issue of depression including:

• Symptoms of depression…

The Physical Effects of Stress

As part of Mental Awareness Week 2022, we will look at the signs and effects of stress on the body. In particular, we will examine the physical effects of stress and will look at some ideas for managing stress.

Stress can be defined as a feeling of emotional or physical tension. Stress is the way your body reacts…

Generalised Anxiety Disorder After COVID

Around the world, mental health issues are an ever-growing concern. Global issues such as the recent COVID pandemic, as well as the increased cost of living and worries about climate change have all had a negative impact…

Coping with Loneliness

The theme of Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 is loneliness. Many people would describe loneliness as being physically alone or in solitude, whereas loneliness is actually a state of mind. Therefore, loneliness is not about being on your own, it is about feeling all alone. Yet, many people do not now know how to cope with being alone…

What is the Purpose of Mental Health Awareness Week?

Every year, the Mental Health Foundation designates one week in May as Mental Health Awareness Week. It is an opportunity for people around the country to examine their own attitude towards mental health…

World Suicide Prevention Day 2021

One in every 100 deaths worldwide is the result of suicide. This is a shocking figure and unfortunately, even in the 21st century, there is still a stigma attached to suicide. While many people are reluctant to talk about this issue…

COVID-20 — Coping with the Mental Health Time Bomb

As COVID-19 continues to throw new challenges at us every day, experts are warning of an impending mental health crisis following on the heels of the coronavirus, which they have dubbed ‘COVID-20’…

How the Coronavirus Has Affected Mental Health

You do not need to go far today to be confronted with the current pandemic. Wearing a mask as a routine and the constant sanitising of hands and equipment is the new norm. It seems as if the news channels are reporting…

ITV’s Campaign for Mental Wellness

ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK and was originally launched in 1955. In Britain it is a popular TV broadcaster and it distributes some of the most popular programmes on TV…

Was there an Increase in Suicides During the Lockdown?

It is a well known fact that social isolation can have a negative impact on emotional wellbeing. For this reason, there was an increase in mental health issues during the lockdown and many people sought medical help during this time…

The Increase in Male Suicides

Recently there has been an alarming increase in mental health problems across the board. Medical professionals are reporting an increase in individuals seeking help for anxiety & depression and other mental health disorders…

World Suicide Prevention Day 2020

World Suicide Prevention Day 2020 International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP). The theme for the third year running is: ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’. The aim is to raise awareness of suicide and provide information on the causes of suicide and the warning signs of suicide…

Suicide and Social Media

The recent story of the death of the YouTuber ‘Etika’ to suicide has been truly shocking not only to his subscribers and fans but to the social media community as a whole. His tragic death, and the recent suicides of reality TV stars, has led to increased media awareness of suicide and suicide prevention. Many questions have arisen including…

Young People and Mental Health Awareness

According to a report by NHS Digital published in November 2018, mental health illnesses affect one in four older teenage girls aged 17–19, and one in eight people between the ages of 5 and 19 had a mental health disorder last year. Even more worrying, a quarter of 11–16-year olds with mental health problems had self-harmed or attempted suicide, increasing to 46%…

The Effects of Bullying on Mental Health

Following on from our blog on bullying in secondary schools, this article is going to examine the effects of bullying on mental health.

Bullying and mental health are two factors that tend to go hand in hand, but can bullying cause mental illness in children? Is the statement that ‘bullying leads to mental health problems’ always the case…

Should We Stop Saying ‘Commit Suicide’?

We have been using the expression ‘commit suicide’ when referring to people who take their own life. It has been brought to our attention that this term should not be used as it implies a crime has been ‘committed’. Going forward we will no longer use this term but instead will use other expressions such as ‘ended their own life’ or ‘died by suicide…

Why Are Males More Likely to Attempt Suicide than Females?

This blog will examine the issue of male suicide. It will compare male vs female suicide rates and also discuss the issue of male depression and the link to suicide. We ask why suicide rates among men are so high, and what can be done about these distressing statistics…

Is Self-Harm and Suicide Linked?

The number of individuals self-harming has rapidly increased in recent years. A recent study by The Children’s Society reported that one in four 14-year-old girls in the UK are self-harming. This statistic is alarming. However, we are investigating a possible link between self-harm and suicide and this blog will examine if there are ties between the two…

Suicide and How to Recognise the Signs

Why would someone attempt suicide and what are the signs of suicidal behaviour in an individual? These questions are the subject of this blog.

A common expression synonymous with suicide is that it is a permanent solution to a temporary problem…

Is there a Link Between Antidepressants and Suicidal Thoughts?

Antidepressants are regularly prescribed for depression and are also used to reduce the risk of suicide. However, there is mounting evidence that antidepressants can cause suicidal thoughts in a person who previously had no thoughts of suicide…

Is there a Link Between Social Media and Suicide?

In recent years, the rise in teenage suicides has been shocking. Although the role social media plays in suicides is not totally transparent or clear-cut, recent studies have linked a rise in rates of anxiety and depression in teenagers to their use of social media…

World Suicide Prevention Day 2018

In the past 45 years there has been a 60% increase in suicide rates worldwide, and the total number of annual suicides stands at almost 1 million. It is therefore vital that nations focus on World Suicide Prevention Day 2018 and develop strategies to help prevent this terrible loss of life. Remember — suicide is preventable…

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

The final blog for Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 examines the issue of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder or OCD.

Many people have a narrow view of OCD and regard it as an odd, quirky condition where the sufferer is obsessed with constant cleaning or repeating certain actions such as turning on and off switches. However, there is so much more to this disorder…

Coping with Panic Attacks

The next blog in the series for Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 is highlighting the anguish of panic attacks.

A panic attack is an intense reaction to fear. While an attack can be a one-off occurrence, in most cases the initial attack is the first of many. There are many physical symptoms of panic attacks and these include sweating and trembling, anxiety, nausea, rapid pulse, lack of air & trouble breathing and a rapidly beating heart…

Seasonal Affective Disorder

In the fourth blog for Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 we are looking at the issue of seasonal affective disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is more than just a case of the winter blues. It is actually a type of mental health disorder — a type of depression that is caused by the changing seasons…

Loneliness

In our third blog for Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 we are covering the issue of loneliness.

Loneliness may seem to be more of an emotional issue than a mental health condition. However, there is a big difference between being on your own — enjoying your own company and having a certain amount of solitude…

Workplace Stress and Anxiety

In the second of our Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 blogs we examine the growing problem of stress and anxiety in the workplace.

A study by HR Review 2018 revealed that: “Nearly a third of UK businesses say that mental health is now a bigger issue among employees than physical illness”. Anxiety at work is often not mentioned or even ignored by individuals…

Generalised Anxiety Disorder

During Mental Health Awareness Week 2018 we have produced a series of blogs which highlight the increase in mental health disorders and the impact this has on physical wellbeing. A key point to remember is that maintaining good mental health is as important as maintaining good physical health. Our first blog will examine generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)…

Unrealistic Expectations at Christmas

One aspect of Christmas which causes problems is that of unrealistic expectations. We are bombarded with images in the media of what the perfect Christmas looks like when, in reality, there is no such thing.

We all want the ideal Christmas, and the focus is on perfect gifts, endless fun, great social activities, wonderful family gatherings, sparkling lights, beautiful Christmas carols, love and goodwill etc…

Bereavement at Christmas

Many people associate certain times each year with a sad time in their life. This may be due to depression, loneliness, redundancy or the loss of a loved one.

For those who are grieving because of the death of a loved one, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time. The fact that someone you love is no longer with you to enjoy the celebrations can be unbearable and the pain can be acute…

Post-Christmas Blues

For some, Christmas is a depressing time of year and many people suffer from post-Christmas blues. Christmas can also be a time of great loneliness and the jollity surrounding the festive season can make loneliness particularly difficult to bear. Everyone seems to be having a good time with their friends and families, and this magnifies the feelings of loneliness…

World Suicide Prevention Day 2014

According to the World Health Organisation, there are approximately one million suicides globally — this is one every 40 seconds. World Suicide Prevention Day is on 10th September 2014 and it is a day when all nations focus on worldwide action to prevent suicides…

Suicide Myths

There are a number of myths related to suicide and many people find it difficult to separate fact from fiction. We will look at some of the most common misunderstandings…

The Warning Signs of Suicide

One of the most devastating aspects of suicide is the feeling of helplessness. Could I have done something to prevent this tragedy? What were the signs that something was wrong? Should I have realised they were feeling this way? Why didn’t they talk to me?…