September 2024...
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The prevalence of poor mental health seems to be growing yearly - particularly around mild or low-level difficulties. This trend is seen across all age groups and demographics. It is clear that the changes within society over the last 15 to 30 years have had an impact on the way we live. It could be argued that this has had a detrimental effect on the population’s mental health. One interpretation is that we are experiencing a time of lower resilience, resulting in increased mental health issues. Presently, we do not fully understand what these changes are, or their overall impact. However, it is clear that our lives - at home, work and in our local communities – are being affected.
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Often, this is in a negative way. Over the last 30 years we have seen a flood of social change, the most dramatic in modern history. This societal shift has transformed every aspect of our lives, but have we stopped to consider the question, “Are we living lives that are best suited to the physical and emotional needs of the human body and mind?”
We are at a point where the conversation around mental health is at the forefront of many private and governmental organisations. Never before have we so openly spoken about mental health-related issues. However, when we examine the provision and treatments available, we can see a struggling system - resources are stretched and unable to meet demand, a national lack of preventive solutions, and a reliance on reactive care.
With more struggling with mild mental health issues – conditions such as depression and anxiety – demand for services has increased. It is apparent that statutory services/funding alone will never be able to keep up with this. Never before has it been so necessary for a new approach to address low-level mental illness, that is both long-term and community-led. Mental health provision cannot just be the NHS’ responsibility, but needs to be steered by the whole community.
Mental health affects us all. None of us are immune to difficulties. Within each individual is the potential to become unwell - or at least experience a reduction in life enjoyment or productivity. With mental health issues having such an impact, it is of great importance to build a community-based concept, that works from the ground up, and for which we all take responsibility.
Barry Ingleton CEO/Founder – Synolos CIC
We are at a point where the conversation around mental health is at the forefront of many private and governmental organisations. Never before have we so openly spoken about mental health-related issues. However, when we examine the provision and treatments available, we can see a struggling system - resources are stretched and unable to meet demand, a national lack of preventive solutions, and a reliance on reactive care.
With more struggling with mild mental health issues – conditions such as depression and anxiety – demand for services has increased. It is apparent that statutory services/funding alone will never be able to keep up with this. Never before has it been so necessary for a new approach to address low-level mental illness, that is both long-term and community-led. Mental health provision cannot just be the NHS’ responsibility, but needs to be steered by the whole community.
Mental health affects us all. None of us are immune to difficulties. Within each individual is the potential to become unwell - or at least experience a reduction in life enjoyment or productivity. With mental health issues having such an impact, it is of great importance to build a community-based concept, that works from the ground up, and for which we all take responsibility.
Barry Ingleton CEO/Founder – Synolos CIC
Introduction
West Oxfordshire is a buzzing and vibrant district of Oxfordshire, famous for its historic landmarks, beautiful countryside and market towns. However, like most communities within the UK, services and providers are reporting an increase in low-level mental disorders.
West Oxfordshire in not unique in this, but has the potential to be the model for a community-led preventative solution.
Many local communities lack joined-up thinking. Services and providers, especially in the field of mental health and wellbeing, often work independently of each other. This leads to a disparity in care at point-of-access. There is potential for different services to work together under a fixed platform that allows all elements of a community to collaborate and make real local change in a free-flowing way. As with many aspects of life, mental health support must work effectively with the resources it has, but also look to create innovative approaches with regards to funding, suitability and long-term solutions.
The clearest route forward is to create a platform that empowers the whole community to take ownership and responsibility - a Community Wellbeing concept. The aims for this is to build a network that meets support/treatment needs - fully-funded and involving all elements of the community.
At the heart of Community Wellbeing will be the core value of being preventative in all aspects of its approach. Underpinning the process will be these fundamental elements: that the user is at the forefront of any decisions, that it is cost-effective, that it moves the mental health conversation forward and that it asks the WHY? question. Community Wellbeing sees that, even with the increased exposure in recent years, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to bring the same awareness to the public as other, well-understood physical illnesses. Community Wellbeing will contribute to the awareness campaign with the agenda of moving from current messages of: admitting mental illness is real -> to building better recovery services -> to asking why are we experiencing this increase -
> to promoting positive lifestyle choices in the same manner as no smoking and healthy eating.
West Oxfordshire in not unique in this, but has the potential to be the model for a community-led preventative solution.
Many local communities lack joined-up thinking. Services and providers, especially in the field of mental health and wellbeing, often work independently of each other. This leads to a disparity in care at point-of-access. There is potential for different services to work together under a fixed platform that allows all elements of a community to collaborate and make real local change in a free-flowing way. As with many aspects of life, mental health support must work effectively with the resources it has, but also look to create innovative approaches with regards to funding, suitability and long-term solutions.
The clearest route forward is to create a platform that empowers the whole community to take ownership and responsibility - a Community Wellbeing concept. The aims for this is to build a network that meets support/treatment needs - fully-funded and involving all elements of the community.
At the heart of Community Wellbeing will be the core value of being preventative in all aspects of its approach. Underpinning the process will be these fundamental elements: that the user is at the forefront of any decisions, that it is cost-effective, that it moves the mental health conversation forward and that it asks the WHY? question. Community Wellbeing sees that, even with the increased exposure in recent years, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to bring the same awareness to the public as other, well-understood physical illnesses. Community Wellbeing will contribute to the awareness campaign with the agenda of moving from current messages of: admitting mental illness is real -> to building better recovery services -> to asking why are we experiencing this increase -
> to promoting positive lifestyle choices in the same manner as no smoking and healthy eating.
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