Local mental health charity Hull and East Yorkshire Mind is working with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to mark Mental Health Awareness Week, which will take place during 9-15 May 2022.
Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event when there is an opportunity for the whole of the UK to focus on achieving good mental health. The Mental Health Foundation started the event 21 years ago and it has grown to become one of the biggest awareness weeks across the UK. The theme for this year is loneliness.
Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic. Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health and we need to find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.
Hull and East Yorkshire Mind and East Riding of Yorkshire Council will be raising awareness of the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it. The campaign forms part of Healthy Minds East Riding – a campaign to promote positive mental health across the East Riding.
The concept of the #Connect4 campaign is simple. Throughout May, the organisations are encouraging people to consciously connect with themselves and others within their community. Whether you wish to practice self-care and connect with yourself, or join a group to connect with your local community – it all helps and can improve your mental health and wellbeing.
There is strong evidence indicating that feeling close to, and valued by, other people is a fundamental human need and one that contributes to functioning well in the world. With this in mind, try to do something different this Mental Health Awareness Week and make a connection.
Emma Dallimore, Chief Executive at Hull and East Yorkshire Mind said:
“For Mental Health Awareness Week, we are happy to be working alongside our partners at East Riding of Yorkshire Council to help raise awareness of loneliness.
“We can all feel lonely from time to time but feelings of loneliness are personal, so everyone’s experience of loneliness will be different, however, feeling lonely for long periods of time can lead to poor mental health such as anxiety and depression. By raising awareness across the local area, we hope that people can make valued connections, and get the respect and support they deserve.”
Adam Gibson, Public Health Lead for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:
“East Riding of Yorkshire Council is happy to be working alongside Hull and East Yorkshire Mind to raise the awareness of loneliness and encourage people to enhance their connections, not just with others but with themselves too.”
It is important to recognise that loneliness and being alone can be completely different things, and these feelings can range in each and every single one of us. You can have people around you yet still feel alone, these feelings can be emotionally overwhelming, and symptoms can present as similar to that of depression and anxiety.”
For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week or the campaign, please visit www.heymind.org.uk/MHAW
For more information on the Healthy Minds campaign, visit www.eastridinghealthandwellbeing.co.uk/healthy-minds
For information, advice and support, contact Hull and East Yorkshire Mind’s Information Line 24 hours a day on 01482 240133 / info@heymind.org.uk