Mental Health Foundation

During August, many young people will be receiving their exam results. This can often bring about a mix of feelings, some that can be difficult to manage, like anxiety, stress, or fear. While it’s normal to experience ups and downs, it’s important that if it gets difficult to cope, young people have somewhere to turn to. This might be to someone in their lives who they can trust, like a friend, teacher/professor, family member or faith leader. There are also amazing organisations who specialise in supporting young people, like Childline, YoungMinds, Shout, Barnardo's, and The Mix. Visit our website for more ways to find support: https://bit.ly/3Yt6fkK

Our statement on the racist attacks and riots over the weekend across the UK, by Alexa Knight, Director of England: “We strongly condemn the racist attacks on hotels housing asylum seekers that took place over the weekend, as well as those on mosques and other community buildings, and local businesses. We know from our own work with refugees that these attacks will worsen the trauma many asylum seekers have faced in their countries of origin and their journeys here, putting their mental health in great danger. “There will be many of us who feel shocked and scared to see the violence in our streets following the tragic killings of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar last week. The racist nature of the riots will mean that people from racialised communities will feel particularly vulnerable. “Being able to acknowledge and address our feelings is an important step to help prevent mental health problems developing. Leaders within workplaces, educational settings and community groups can play a vital part in reducing the mental health impacts of these events. They must acknowledge what is happening, build a culture of openness, and ensure support is available where needed. “Political leaders from every party must now lead the country in clearly condemning the Islamophobic and racist nature of these riots.” Find support on racism and mental health: https://bit.ly/3WPXQGL

We are excited to be recruiting for a Becoming A Man (BAM) Counsellor in London. 📢 Becoming A Man (BAM) is a two-year school-based counselling and mentoring programme that guides young men as they learn, practice, and internalise social-emotional skills, make responsible decisions for their future, and become positive members of their school and community. If you think your skills match and you’d like to be part of a dynamic and growing organisation, please complete and submit your application below. Starting salary: £36,724 plus £3,285 London weighting. Full time, fixed-term contract ending August 2025 with potential for extension. Please note that full-time is 32-hours per week, as part of our 32-hour week pilot (to be reviewed in March 2025). https://lnkd.in/eYQvbWYs

There is a close, and often complex relationship between breastfeeding and maternal mental health. Just as each childbirth experience is different, so are experiences with breastfeeding. No matter what, it’s important that parents are given the support, understanding, and resources they need during their perinatal journeys – including around breastfeeding. For Laura, mum of three, breastfeeding has been an important part of her journey. However, the premature birth of her third child came with challenges for breastfeeding that greatly affected her mental health. Read Laura's story: https://bit.ly/3A28Ckt #WorldBreastfeedingWeek

Having something to look forward to can help boost our mental health, especially during hard times. It could be anything! From small pleasures like watching your favourite film, to something bigger, like meeting up with friends, or going to a concert. Whatever it is, the important thing is making the plan. Get more research-backed mental health tips: https://bit.ly/3ZnU6Mt

Happy International Friendship Day! 💜 Today we're celebrating all the relationships in our lives which make it easier to manage our mental health. Friendship can lessen a burden, put things in perspective, and help us feel safe to share what we're going through. If we’re experiencing a mental health problem, our instinct might be to avoid our friends. But friendships can play a key role in helping us live with or recover from a mental health problem. We can end up with the strongest relationships with the people who’ve supported us through hard times. It can be hard to know how to talk about your mental health with those around you, or support your friends when they open-up to you. That's why we've put together a guide to help you talk to your friends about your mental health, and support those who reach out to you for help. 👉 Read our guide here: https://bit.ly/46jfs0P

Today is National Schizophrenia Awareness Day. Schizophrenia is a mental health condition often described as a type of psychosis. This means you might be unable to tell the difference between your thoughts and reality. Symptoms may include: a loss of touch with reality; seeing or hear things that are not there; holding irrational, paranoid or unusual beliefs not based on reality; appearing to act strangely because you’re responding to these delusions and hallucinations. A common misconception is that schizophrenia means having a ‘split personality’. This is not true. Multiple personalities are not a symptom of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is usually treated with a combination of therapy and medication unique to the person. In addition to this, there is self-care and self-help that can help you live well with the condition. For example, planning for difficult times, and understanding the warning signs of an episode. Find out more about schizophrenia and finding support: https://bit.ly/3Pxe6Xh

Connecting with other people is so important for our mental health. There are a lot of different ways we can do this, like phoning a friend for a chat, or visiting a neighbour. Sharing a meal is a great of building connections! It can help us slow down, talk and listen to each other. Since what we eat can also affect our mental health, while you're sharing a meal, why not think about ways to make it healthy for your mind and body! 👉 Find out more: https://bit.ly/3GAWTJM

📣 We're delighted to be recruiting for 3 roles this month, in Cardiff, Glasgow and London. Join our team in Cardiff as a Public Mental Health Officer. A full-time (32 hours) fixed-term role for 12 months. This role will work alongside community partners to identify, test, and embed the best approaches to improving mental health in communities. You will support the development of the evidence base on mental health, and generate compelling evidence of how systems can act to support good mental health. Starting salary £31,350. Join our team in Glasgow as an Office Manager. This is a part-time role for 16 hours per week for a 12-month maternity cover. You'll be responsible for the smooth running of the Glasgow office. Starting salary £15,675. Join our team in London as a HR Administrator. This is a part-time permanent role for 25.6 hours per week. You'll be responsible for supporting our payroll & recruitment processes, along with managing our HR system. Starting salary £20,900 + £2,628 London weighting. Please check out these roles & our benefits here: https://lnkd.in/eYQvbWYs

Happy Disability Pride Month! Originally started in the US in 1990, we have celebrated Disability Pride Month in the UK every July since 2015. Disability Pride is about spreading awareness about disabilities and celebrating the diversity of the disabled community. One in five people in the UK live with a disability. The Disability Pride flag uses five different colours to represent the many different identities and types of experience within the disabled community. 🔵Did you know that the blue in the flag represents mental health problems? Some people with a mental health condition will identify as disabled, and some will not. This will be personal to each of us. Some people may also identify as having more than one type of disability. Disability Pride Month will mean something different to everyone. In the face of ableism, stigma and other forms of prejudice and discrimination, Disability Pride feels especially important. What does Disability Pride mean to you?