Campaign to tackle high levels of male suicide in city and county

The ongoing impact of the pandemic has underscored the critical importance of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our children and young people. United Leicester is a partnership of the city’s four professional sports clubs and funded by their respective official charities. The ‘Get the Ball Rolling’ campaign has been devised by the city, county and Rutland councils’ Start a Conversation partnership, and follows a report on male suicide published this year by Healthwatch Leicester and Leicestershire. The survey included 2,290 interviews, with 82% conducted online and 18% by phone. Having relaunched earlier this year with a focus on adult support, the project also provides weekly sports and activity sessions to promote mental and physical wellbeing. Prof. Robbie Duschinsky from Cambridge University described the findings as “sad” and “surprising” to many, though he acknowledged that they may not be surprising to families who have used these services.

However, it’s easy to fall into the trap of believing that ongoing stress is a necessary part of life. We also offer a self referral service where you can make a request for one of our specialist trained staff to contact you to provide you with a more detailed assessment of your needs. The mental health platform ‘Student Space’ will receive more funding to continue operations through the end of the academic year. We understand that the pandemic’s impact on mental health is likely to be long-lasting, and we continue to monitor data to ensure our response is guided by the latest evidence. Here’s a summary of this important research and the steps we’re taking to improve the mental health of children and young people.

Developed by Frog Systems, the platform includes videos that showcase how sport has helped individuals in the community overcome challenges like depression, racism, and addiction. The study, conducted by the University of Cambridge and the National Children’s Bureau, analyzed thousands of records from an NHS trust in London. It found that children from the most deprived areas were approximately twice as likely to be rejected by mental health services as those from the least deprived areas.

• Start A Conversation provides information about where to find support in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland for people experiencing feelings of suicide ideation, and those worried about them.
• MEN are being encouraged to talk to their friends about their feelings, as part of a campaign that aims to tackle the high levels of male suicide across Leicester and Leicestershire.
• The study, conducted by the University of Cambridge and the National Children’s Bureau, analyzed thousands of records from an NHS trust in London.
• The study was prompted by concerns from individuals with lived experiences about inequalities in mental health service access for the most vulnerable children.

Researchers noted that CAMHS often require young people to be in a “stable place” to receive therapeutic support, which may exclude children in unstable family situations from getting help. The Menopause Awareness Raising Service are working to increase people’s knowledge and awareness of the menopause and the impact this can have on women. They offer training for menopause champions in the workplace and signpost to support. The people who work there are fully trained and can help talk to you about your mental health, how to deal with it and where to go for more help and support. Mental Health Friendly Places are welcoming, non-judgmental, safe spaces for people who need to talk about their mental health. 24/7 support is available over the phone, you can call the Mental Health Central Access Point on NHS 111, selecting option 2 for mental health.

Services

Local brewery Everards is backing the campaign by placing the beer mats and posters in its pubs across the city, county and Rutland. Adults aged 18 and over can enhance their physical and mental wellbeing through a variety of sessions offered by Leicester City in the Community’s Health and Wellbeing team. The research focused on NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and revealed that children with general social work involvement were more than three times as likely to be turned away. This analysis, based on over 71,000 records from a large NHS trust, did not specify the trust to avoid singling out a specific service, as the issue is believed to be widespread across England. This site contains a directory of local services that can be easily browsed and filtered for what you need.

Drugs, Alcohol and Mental Health

The report shows early signs of recovery in children’s wellbeing following the decline seen in 2020. Wellbeing levels fluctuated throughout the year, largely in line with the introduction and easing of pandemic restrictions. More about the campaign, advice on how to start a conversation about mental health and information on services on offer in Leicester is available at the United Leicester Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub or the Startaconversation website. It uses sporting references on beer mats, posters and on social media to show men how they can start a conversation with others, and where they can get help if they are struggling with their mental health. Men  are being encouraged to talk to their friends about their feelings, as part of a campaign that aims to tackle the high levels of male suicide across Leicester and Leicestershire.

What we are doing to improve the mental health of children and young people

While we’ve made significant progress in physical health and life expectancy, our collective mental health is deteriorating. The survey indicates that most people have experienced a mental health problem at some point, with young adults reporting higher levels despite having had fewer years to experience these issues. This may reflect a growing ease in acknowledging mental health problems, but it also suggests an emerging crisis, potentially linked to increased uncertainties in work, relationships, and housing. We are your local, independent mental health charity within the Mind network. We focus on improving the mental health and wellbeing of people from across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

Encouragingly, after a rise in probable mental health disorders in 2020, the report indicates that these levels stabilized in 2021. However, ongoing challenges remain in areas such as reduced participation in physical activity, limited access to extracurricular activities, and an increase in obesity rates. Developed by Frog Systems, the platform has videos explaining how sport has helped people in the community overcome challenges such as depression, racism and addiction. Launching today, on World Mental Health Day, the hub will share positive wellbeing messages to encourage more people in Leicester to lead healthier, happier lives. Leicester’s professional sports clubs have teamed up to support the communities they serve.

It’s also got the support of the United Leicester mental health hub, an online platform where members of the local sporting community share their own stories with the aim of helping others to talk and get the support they need. Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children’s Bureau, highlighted that some children may never receive the support they need under the current system. She urged the government to urgently address the UnitedLeicester.com systemic biases within children’s mental health services, which she believes discriminate against particularly vulnerable groups. Student Space offers a range of mental health and wellbeing services, including one-to-one support through counselling, email, and phone helplines, along with essential information and advice. It signposts to local, national, community, charity, private and NHS mental health support. P3 provides a mental health wellbeing and recovery support service for adults aged 18 and over.