Mental health- what works?

On World Mental Health Day, Saturday 10^th October 2020, Healthwatch Barking and Dagenham was held online, getting the community talking and sharing some of the amazing stories of neighbourliness, community support and professional services that we’ve heard have helped us all during the pandemic.

We know that COVID-19 has been difficult for everyone. Often, we don’t even realise that the things around us are having an impact on our mental health. Coronavirus not only changed the way businesses and services are run, but it has also drastically altered our everyday interactions with one another – at home, in our street and at work.

Although this has been difficult to accept and the new normal isn’t what we’d like, we know there have been some fantastic things happening across the borough as individual residents, faith communities, voluntary and community groups and organisations like the council all played their part.

Throughout the pandemic it’s often been the small things as well as the larger, organised projects that have made the biggest difference. We have heard about neighbours striking up a socially-distanced friendship as they chat in front gardens, faith communities praying together online, doctors calling patients to see how they’re doing, voluntary sector groups delivering food and medication to those in need and youth groups continuing mentoring services and much more.

This community spirit is surely something to celebrate! This World Mental Health Day we took the opportunity to share some of your stories. We asked you to tell us what you’ve been doing over the past few months. Perhaps you joined in delivering food to those who were shielding, maybe you checked in on your elderly neighbour, or maybe you worked in a care home or hospital. Whatever you did, let us know. This year let’s celebrate community. #EachOneReachOne