All posts by actionmentalhealth

AMH News

Foyle AMH New Horizons Helps Smash Stigma and Start Conversations at Show Stopper Purple Picnic 

On Wednesday May 11, AMH New Horizons, Foyle, chose Guildhall Square, Derry/ Londonderry as the venue for their Great Big Purple Picnic, to mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May). Themed to combat loneliness, a cup of tea and a chat was the order of the day for this annual event. 

Northern Ireland Mental Health Champion, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, joined Colleen Harkin, Assistant Director of Western Trust Mental Health Services, David Babington, CEO Action Mental Health, Graham Warke, Mayor, Derry & Strabane District Council and colleagues from the local community mental health network to welcome and engage with visitors.

The event highlighted the 5 ways to well being through connecting, giving, learning, taking notice and being active, inviting participation through a number of unusual and thought-provoking activities, ranging from games to displays, three exhibitions and the famous book chair providing a perfect place for selfies.

AMH New Horizons Foyle promoted their ‘Don’t Lose Your Marbles’ game, a mini 9-hole golf game, taking players on a whistle stop tour of the city, while the AMH women’s group displayed a range of handcrafted items and knitted Ted Talk key rings were handed out. 

The ceramic ‘Seven Gates of the Walled City’ enhanced further debate and contemplation, alongside feted exhibited work from AMH resident artist, Pat Ross from his ‘Read Between the Lines’ and ‘Sugar Sandwich’ displays.

Pauline Flanagan, Service Manager was delighted with the success of the Purple Picnic event, commenting, “All exhibitions and activities from the event are available free to local employers & community settings to host. Hosting an exhibition or activity will help start conversations around mental health and how to maintain it, smash stigma.  Adding, Book a show stopper for your workplace wellbeing day and use this opportunity to raise much need funds for AMH Foyle.”  

AMH New Horizons support the recovery of adults experiencing mental ill health who are interested in progressing towards further education, training or employment. Clients take part in a range of courses, from therapeutic classes like arts and crafts, to accredited training and work placements through the “Working it Out” project. Working it Out is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts. 

For further information on AMH New Horizons Foyle services call 028 7137 3502.

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The “Working it Out” project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

 

AMH News

Lifting the Weight on Mental Health

On 2nd July at the Fit XPO 2022 in Liverpool, Matthew McKeegan and Gavin McNamee from MK Strength and Fitness will be attempting world record “deadlifts” in their respective weight categories.  

They are also raising vital funds for AMH New Horizons Foyle in memory of Matthew’s father.  You can find out more about their attempts and donate here.

AMH News

Action Mental Health announce a new charity partnership with Edgewater Contracts.

Northern Ireland’s leading mental health charity, Action Mental Health (AMH), is delighted to announce their new charity partnership with Edgewater Contracts and Specialist Joinery, a construction, fit out and specialist joinery company based at Toomebridge.

Action Mental Health is a charity that changes the lives of people living with mental health issues and promotes resilience and wellbeing throughout our community.

On announcement of the new partnership, Lynsey Graham stated: “We decided to support this vital cause as we know that many in our local communities have been adversely affected by the pandemic, and we want to support our own workforce with opportunities to enhance their own mental health and wellbeing.  Anything that we can do to raise both awareness of the mental health crisis facing the country and to raise money to support Action Mental Health with the vital work that they do is a positive step for change.”

Throughout the year Edgewater Contracts will be embarking on fundraising initiatives to support the vital work of the charity.

Action Mental Health have a timetable of activities suitable for people of all ages to get involved in. The charity is always happy to work with corporate partners of all sizes to raise much needed funds and awareness of the work that they do.

Action Mental Health’s Samantha Coleman commented: ‘We are so delighted to have Edgewater Contracts with us for 2022. One in five of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives and half of all problems start before the age of fourteen. Since the pandemic, the need for our services is even greater, so  we are very happy to be working with Edgewater Contracts on a series of fundraising events and awareness raising to highlight the important cause of mental health and to help fund our services for local people.”

Pictured left to right: Peter Gregg Head of (HSQE), Samantha Burke Procurement Support and Samantha Coleman Action Mental Health

For more information, please contact:

Samantha Coleman, AMH, [email protected]

AMH News

AMH New Horizons client and OCN awards finalist, Joanna, is bursting with passion and creativity!

Joanna is taking part in the Working it Out project at AMH New Horizons Ards & North Down The OCN Level 1 Mixed Media art student, Joanna, was recently shortlisted in two categories at the OCN awards. She was Highly Commended in Health and Wellbeing Learner of the Year and also Highly Commended in Third Sector Learner of the Year.

Joanna started at AMH New Horizons shy, easily overwhelmed, and lacking in self-confidence and self-belief. But now, she can lose herself in creativity. She has had to overcome tough and demanding physical, mental and emotional impacts of anxiety. She is a wonderful example of what can be achieved by facing your fears, riding out uncomfortable sensations/feelings, to commit to something important to you. Joanna’s strength throughout the OCN course has been her determination to overcome her anxiety and build a future where she is achieving her dreams.

Pauline Matthew, Skills Coach at AMH New Horizons, described the joy she has gained from helping Joanna throughout the course:

“Joanna’s journey was magical to watch. Seeing her light up, speak passionately and positively to other students about her work – lit the touchpaper to Joanna’s increased self-belief in her ability to not only create great art but to take pride in it, own it and believe in herself.

She has pushed through, forced herself to sit with the uncomfortable, overcoming fears, anxiety and emotions to contribute to the classes and to create meaningful, personal and beautiful art.”

Joanna is continuing to push herself beyond her comfort boundaries, sharing her thoughts, promoting ideas and proposals for better or more creative ways of working.

The “Working it Out” project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

AMH News

ChatPal – a mental health chatbot that can help tackle loneliness and isolation for people living in rural areas

The theme for Mental Health Awareness 2022 is tackling loneliness and the impact it can have on our mental health and wellbeing. One of the projects that Action Mental Health is involved with is ChatPal, a mental health chatbot. The project is being led by Ulster University and Courtney Potts, a Research Associate at the University explains a bit more about the project and how it aims to tackle loneliness and isolation for people living in rural areas:

The ChatPal project includes the development and trailing of a multilingual mental health app – the ChatPal chatbot. Ulster University and Action Mental Health are involved in the project, along with other European partners in the Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Finland, and Sweden. The ChatPal chatbot promotes positive mental wellbeing of individuals and is targeted at those living in sparsely populated areas.

At the beginning of the project, workshops were held with health professionals, mental health service users and university staff/ students. The purpose of these workshops was to find out what people want and need from a mental health chatbot, and what professionals would support. The aim was to work with these groups to co-design and co-produce the chatbot. During the workshops, the topic of loneliness was discussed given this can affect people living in rural areas. One participant said:

“As an older person experiencing social isolation, I want a friendly chatbot to talk to about my interests so I can feel less lonely & I can feel some degree of companionship in my home”

Users can converse with ChatPal to learn about the causes of loneliness, and the chatbot can provide tips to help people manage these feelings.  In ChatPal you can also find relevant mental health information, exercises, simple monitoring and self-care tools, and where to go to access additional mental health support.

The goal for ChatPal is not to replace traditional services, but instead to make them better, more inclusive, streamlined, scalable, and sustainable. The ChatPal chatbot can be used as part of a blended service offering, that can add to in-person sessions as opposed to replacing them. It can also be used as a general health promotion tool, allowing the general population to look after their own mental wellbeing.

Read more about the project: https://chatpal.interreg-npa.eu

Download the ChatPal app

Android devices: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chatpalmobile  

Apple devices: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/chatpal-psychology-chatbot/id1559939491  

This funding source for this project is the Interreg VB Northern Periphery & Arctic Programme under the grant for Conversational Interfaces Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing of People in Sparsely Populated Areas (ChatPal) project number 345.

AMH News

Covid, stress and returning to the workplace. Let’s make it positive!

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week and we are looking at ways of tackling the impact of loneliness on our mental health and wellbeing. Working patterns for many of us have changed, since the start of the pandemic and many people have found this has caused a multitude of issues including loneliness and isolation.

AMH Works has provided some great tips on how to adapt to new ways of working.

Being in work is important for everyone’s general health and wellbeing: it gives us a purpose (and an income), promotes independence, allows us to develop social contacts, and is a factor in preventing both physical and mental health problems (WHO).

Many people found themselves in the position of having to work from home because of coronavirus (COVID-19). This brought with it a lot of stressful and new challenges such as a lack of structure, distractions, blurred boundaries and isolation; affecting mental health and your wellbeing. It was very natural to have feelings of frustration, loneliness, worry, or concern for yourself and those close to you. Now that the world is changing and workplaces are starting to return we might find ourselves worried about change again. The four A’s is a helpful tool for proactive stress management and limiting the pressure you take on. Here is how you could use it to help you stress less and ease into the transition of hybrid working;

The four A’s; Avoid, Alter, Adapt & Accept

Avoid

It’s important to remember, that it’s not healthy to avoid a stressful situation that needs to be addressed but you may be surprised by the number of pressures and stressors in your life you can reduce and take control of.

It’s ok to say no: Know your own limits, ensure that you are not taking too much on, and it’s important to practice self-care.

Avoid people who cause you stress: It’s ok to avoid the people who cause you unnecessary stress, you might want to take some time apart from that person or even end the relationship.

Control your environment: Taking control of your environment can help alleviate pressure, we live on a notified and anxious planet, ration social media and the news. If the morning commute might cause you to worry, try listening to your favourite music or a podcast to create less stress and promote a greater sense of peace and control.

Alter

Sometimes you can’t avoid a stressful situation but you can alter it.

Speak your mind: It’s okay to voice how you are feeling in a respectful manner, practise becoming more assertive to ensure your worries and concerns are heard. Try to tackle the problem early to avoid the situation from escalating.

Finding the middle ground: Be willing to compromise and also change some things about yourself in order to find a happy outcome for all parties.

All work and no play?: The Five Ways to Wellbeing provide five key steps that you can take as your mental ‘five-a-day’ to contribute to your overall wellbeing. Strive to set time aside to practice the ‘five-a-day’ and invest in self-care.

Adapt

If you can’t change the stressful situation you can learn to adapt. You can challenge unhelpful thinking patterns and gain perspective.

Reframe: viewing a stressful situation in the current situation positively might be tough, but it’s important to take time to pause and reflect. Try to challenge negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts.

Perspective: Take time to reflect on perspective V reality. Ask yourself; will it matter next week? A month? A year?

Self-Standard: are you setting yourself unreasonable goals? Do others expect this from you? Learn ways to be ok with not being perfect and being ‘good enough’. Creating a ‘good enough’ mindset that isn’t filled with unrealistic expectations will help you cultivate a sense of wellbeing.

Accept

Some situations maybe are unavoidable and out of our control. In such cases, it is important to remember we have to cope with stress by acceptance. It can be very difficult to do but it can present you with more time to focus your energy on taking care of yourself!

Keep talking: sharing your feelings and expressing your thoughts is more important than ever, talk to a colleague, a trusted friend, a councillor or your GP.

Stay positive: reflect on your thoughts, feelings and behaviours and challenge negative situations by practising the four A’s. Take time to reflect and gain perspective.

AMH Works provide a range of programmes which support employers to improve mental and emotional wellbeing in the workplace and create Healthy, Resilient Workplaces, to find out more contact AMH Works Manager, Shelly Wilson on 07540124083 or [email protected].

There will be times when extra support is needed, if you’re finding things really difficult you might want to speak to your line manager, a GP, Lifeline or Samaritans. Further information on sources of support is available on www.amh.org.uk.

AMH News

Action Mental Health – tackling loneliness and its impact on mental wellbeing.

Mental Health Awareness Week shines a welcome spotlight on efforts to reduce the impact of loneliness on our mental health and wellbeing. For many of Action Mental Health’s services such as our AMH New Horizons services, tackling loneliness and increasing social connections for our clients is a central element of our work throughout the year.

AMH’s New Horizons services which are located right across Northern Ireland, are much-vaunted support networks to people experiencing periods of mental ill-health.

AMH New Horizons operates recovery services that offer wellbeing, vocational and employability programmes. This complements AMH’s emotional wellbeing and resilience building programmes in schools, workplaces and indeed across the community which aim to build a more resilient and healthier population. Last year AMH services supported almost 25,000 local people, of all ages, right across Northern Ireland.

Clients attending AMH New Horizons take part in a range of courses, from therapeutic classes like arts and crafts, to accredited training and work placements through the “Working it Out” project. Working it Out is part funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

The effects of loneliness

There have been many studies on the impact of loneliness and the findings are stark as highlighted below:

  • Loneliness is a killer; in fact it can hasten your death by up to 30% among some risk groups.
  • According to a study of 3.4million people, carried out by Brigham Young University, USA, people who are or feel socially isolated or live alone – whatever their age – are at increased risk of an earlier death. The study’s lead author, Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad said the harmful effects of loneliness are similar to the harm caused by smoking, obesity or alcohol misuse.
  • The study, Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health Among Older Adults by Caitlin Coyle and Elizabeth Dugan found that loneliness was associated with higher odds of having a mental health problem, while isolation was associated with higher odds of reporting one’s health as being fair or poor.

How AMH is making a difference

Many of our clients regularly tell us that they rely on the social interactions and new friendship networks they build through attending services such as AMH New Horizons and our Mens Sheds to combat their own challenges with loneliness.

We have AMH New Horizons services located across Northern Ireland and you can find out more about the services in your local area by clicking here. On this page you can find contact details for your local service, as well as details on how to access these services for yourself or a loved one.

Our Mens Shed provide a great social setting for men over the age of 50, who we know are one of the groups most at risk of the impacts of loneliness. Our shedders build new skills and friendship networks in a relaxed, comfortable environment, with other people who are facing similar issues. Our Mens Sheds are located in Antrim, Downpatrick and Enniskillen and you can find out more about them by clicking here.

The “Working it Out” project is part-funded through the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, the Department for the Economy and the five NI Health & Social Care Trusts.

https://www.amh.org.uk/news/clients-at-amh-new-horizons-lisburn-hail-life-saving-staff-as-silent-saviours/