Mental Health Promotion

Carole Devaney
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland
Mental Health Promotion Network
 Definition of Mental Health
‘Mental health is the emotional and spiritual
resilience which enables us to enjoy life
and to survive pain, disappointment and
sadness. It is a positive sense of well-
being and an underlying belief in our own
and others dignity and worth’

Health Education Authority, Mental Health Promotion a quality

framework, 1997, HEA, London
 Mental health
• We all have mental health needs

• It is more than an absence of mental illness

• It influences: how we think about ourselves and others,

our ability to learn and communicate; to form and sustain
relationships; to interpret and cope with change and life
events

• How we think and feel impacts on our physical health

• Poor mental health adds to the burden of disease and

health inequalities
What is mental health promotion
• Mental Health Promotion : A Quality
Framework (ref: National Service
Framework – Standard 1 –Mental Health
Promotion : A Quality Framework (HEA
1997)

• Shifting the focus from illness to well-being

and earlier intervention with groups at
higher risk of mental ill health
 What does it focus on?
• Any action to enhance the mental well-
being of individuals, families, organisations
and communities
• The factors which influence how we think
and feel, individually and collectively
• The impact this has on overall health and
well-being
 Mental Health Promotion cont.

Relevant to:
• The whole population
• Vulnerable groups and individuals at risk
• People with mental health problems
Activity:
• Strengthening individuals
• Strengthening communities
• Reducing structural barriers to mental health
What influences our mental health?
• Exercise
• Draw for 10 minutes on the flip chart
sheets
Where are our mental health needs met?
• Early years
• School
• Home and Relationships
• Community
• Neighbourhood and Environment
• Workplace and Employment
• Later Life
• Where we feel safe; included; valued;
respected
• Challenging the stigma of mental ill health
No Health without Mental Health
• Starting well
• Developing well
• Living well
• Working well
• Ageing Well
See: Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing
Project (2008). Systems maps. The
Government Office for Science, London.
Page 3.
http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/corpora
te/migratedD/ec_group/118-08-FO_b
 Mental health promotion
at different levels
At each level, it is relevant to the whole population, to individuals at
risk, vulnerable groups and people with mental health problems.
• Strengthening individuals –increasing emotional resilience through
interventions designed to promote self-esteem, life and coping skills,
e.g. communicating, negotiating, relationship and parenting skills.
• Strengthening communities - this involves increasing social inclusion
and participation, improving neighbourhood environments,
developing health and social services, which support mental health,
anti-bullying strategies at school, workplace health, community
safety, childcare and self-help networks.
• Reducing structural barriers to mental health - through initiatives to
reduce discrimination and inequalities and to promote access to
education, meaningful employment, housing, services and support
for those who are vulnerable.
 Clients and Service Users
• Lifestyle Advice/Intervention - smoking, alcohol and drugs, drinking, obesity,
nutrition, sleeping, stress reduction
• Signposting and Referral/ Social prescribing – exercise opportunities – e.g.
walking and gardening social networks, support groups, befriending
projects, libraries, education and learning opportunities, benefits advice,
volunteering opportunities, self esteem interventions
• Assessment of emotional health status of individuals with physical health
problems particularly chronic illness
• Routine assessment of the physical health needs of individuals with mental
ill health problems
• Recognition and appropriate responses to adult and child abuse
• Referral to parenting support and with attachment issues
• Building community capacity – involvement in local partnerships and
networks and patient groups
• Challenging Stigma,
• Reducing access barriers and early recognition and referral in children and
adults
• Service environment
 Employers
• Exemplar Employers
• Workplace/ building design
• Well-being workplace policy
• Management policies and practices including equality and diversity,
bullying and harassment, appraisal, flexible working practices,
reward and recognition, training and development
• Lifestyle interventions
• Managing stress
• Retention and Recruitment of individuals with mental health
problems
• Green space, trees, shrubs
• Access to water, healthy food options
• Supervision and support mechanisms
• Challenging stigma
• Climate adaptation initiatives
 Commissioners
• Guidance for commissioning mental health
promotion
• Public Health Outcomes
• Integral to service provision – opportunistic and
routine
As part of the tendering/contracting process for
example
• Service providers have to demonstrate good
employment practices
• Service providers have to demonstrate climate
adaptation polices etc
Benefits of mental health promotion

• Preventing mental ill health particularly

depression, anxiety, self harm including drug
and alcohol dependence and suicide
• Improving the health and well-being of
individuals with mental health problems
• Wider universal benefits – improved physical
health; increased emotional resilience;
increased social inclusion and participation and
improved productivity
This work was produced as part of the TIGER project and funded by JISC and
the HEA in 2011. For further information see:
http://www.northampton.ac.uk/tiger.

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