Staff of Action Mental Health in Foyle are preparing to commence a phased return to face-to-face support with clients, marking their eventual return with an inspection by the city’s mayor.

Following the long weeks of the lockdown, staff have been busy establishing a new programme which combines onsite instruction and virtual classes.

AMH Chief Executive David Babington this week helped Service Manager Pauline Flanagan unveil the new programme, with a seal of approval from Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Brian Tierney.

During a tour of AMH Foyle, at Springtown Industrial Estate, staff showcased the measures the charity have taken to ensure staff and clients are safe from the continuing risks of the coronavirus.

The Foyle Service has been deep cleaned, while department and training areas have been redesigned to provide training in a safe socially distant environment. Individual learning packs will also be provided, with personal protection equipment and safety notices in place. A new outside classroom has even been erected to take advantage of good weather during the summer months.  

The date of the Service’s re-opening has yet to be confirmed but once it does, all social distancing regulations will be observed.

Service Manager Pauline Flanagan explained how clients have been supported during the lockdown.

“Staff have been providing virtual support and training since the lockdown at end of March which has been very well received by clients, who have said the continued contact with staff had helped to reduce their anxiety and distract them from the flow of pandemic news feeds.” 

Some clients however, suffer from ‘digital poverty’, living without internet services, making their desire to return to face-to-face contact ever greater.

Pauline continued: “Clients we support tend to be the most isolated and marginalised in our society with no or limited access to public transport, human contact, access to services, living on a basic subsistence, and in financial constraints, dealing with addictions and mental ill health.

“Staff have been creative, thinking outside the box and are delighted to embrace the opportunities and challenges working in a pandemic brings about.”

The Service Manager added that with AMH’s person-centred approach, many clients have expressed their desire to return to the service. Some have indicated that they would be happy to enjoy the best of both worlds by continuing to avail of the blended learning opportunities provided. 

Chief Executive David Babington added: “We are experts in our field, in providing mental health support to promote recovery for over 50 years. The team rise to every challenge and this is exceptional. We have an expert team who are innovative and dedicated and this has enabled all our nine New Horizons services across Northern Ireland to plan now to provide blended learning.”

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Brian Tierney, praised the Action Mental Health staff for their dedication in a difficult period.

“I would like to thank the staff of Action Mental Health for the vital work that they are doing, which is currently as important as ever as so many people within our district are looking for support in managing mental health problems.

“Having to adapt how they work in recent months has no doubt been challenging for the whole team, but they deserve great praise for how they have overcome those challenges and have found new ways to keep delivering such an important service.

“I’m glad that they are now able to take steps to resuming face-to-face support in a safe manner, and I wish everyone at AMH the very best as they continue their valued work in the weeks and months ahead.”

AMH New Horizons Foyle is continuing to accept referrals at this difficult time, supporting the Western Trust community mental health teams. Intake procedures have been amended to ensure service is accessible. Should you wish to be referred and are registered within the Western Trust Derry~Londonderry area, contact your community mental health team, the Jobs and Benefits office or your local GP or click https://www.amh.org.uk/contact, leave your details and request information on Foyle virtual learning.

AMH New Horizons activities are operated through the “Working it Out” project, which 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.

During what is Loneliness Awareness Week and Men’s Health Week we are focusing on the effect of loneliness on men’s mental health. Across Northern Ireland, a sizeable number of older people are impacted by loneliness and this can lead to serious health issues, if not addressed.

Loneliness can have a significant impact on people’s mental health and can in fact hasten death by up to 30% among some risk groups. 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.

With the risk groups including older men, Action Mental Health’s three Men’s Sheds play a pivotal role in lessening the effects of loneliness. The Men’s Sheds bring men aged 50+ together to share skills, socialise and connect with their wider community, while working on practical activities of their choice.

The Men’s Sheds, in AMH New Horizons in Antrim, Fermanagh and Downpatrick, are places to have a laugh, make new friends with other men over 50.

You can find out more about our Men’s Sheds by clicking here:

AMH Men’s Sheds

The effects of loneliness

Raymond Kerr was so lonely after his wife died he was ‘climbing the walls’.

The 74-year-old could barely face getting out of bed in the morning as everything he did at home only served to magnify the fact that he was alone.

Even going to get the groceries and buying food-for-one reinforced his feelings of utter isolation and desolation, and soon, depression.

Raymond lost his wife Lola three years ago, but unlike many in his situation, he didn’t have hordes of visiting mourners to keep him afloat before the loneliness set in – he was alone from day one.

The pensioner did find solace in his only child with whom he has forged a better relationship since his wife’s death. However, the demands of his son’s work and own family life meant their regular visits could take place just once a week.

Raymond was also loathe to burden his son with his growing feelings of depression when the younger man was grieving for a mother he had shared a very close bond with all his life.

Aside from that, and the occasional visit by social workers, Raymond lived a solitary life, day in, day out. He admits that this isolation was partly a symptom of his somewhat reserved nature, but also because he lives many miles from his surviving family connections and friends in his native Castlecaulfield, Co Tyrone.

“I was very lonely from day one after my wife died,” he explains. “My wife knew a lot of people but I was more of a loner so when she died I didn’t see many people.

“When I woke up in the morning I felt really bad. I felt very down and I didn’t want to trouble anyone with how I was feeling.

“It put me off my food and I was living on one meal a day. I didn’t feel like cooking just for myself and you can never really buy something in the grocery shop that’s just for one person. So I went with the bare minimum – just potatoes and butter and egg.

“I was feeling depressed, and even when you’re separated or divorced you can always still call the person and have a voice on the other end of the phone but when your wife has died there’s no one there.”

He did eventually begin to talk however, and told his doctor how he was feeling.

“The doctor was great actually because she knew me. She was very easy to talk to and I could tell her anything, so she really helped in that way.”

Raymond was ultimately saved from his depressing world of loneliness by the intervention of social services.

“My doctor sent social workers out to me and one of them told me about the Men’s Sheds,” he says.

The Men’s Sheds, his local one located at Action Mental Health’s New Horizons Antrim, has opened up a new life and one that is filled with company – the company of men who know exactly what life is like for an older widower.

Nowadays, he spends his time participating in arts and crafts, particularly enjoying fine art and painting. Cutting his teeth in the art of leather work he counts himself among ‘the three stooges’, along with two new friends who are in much the same domestic boat as Raymond.

“I’d never heard of the Men’s Shed before and though I was a bit apprehensive about going and wanted to leave a few times, I really enjoyed it and they made me feel very welcome.

 “I’d felt unwanted before but the men joked that if I didn’t show up they’d come to my house and get me,” he says. “So I’ve no option and I’ve never stopped going.”

“It’s very interesting and the girl in charge asks what you’d like to do and she’ll even bring in an expert to teach us all how to do new things so I’ve actually made a few belts now,” he adds.

“I’ve made new friendships and the banter and craic is great and makes the day go quickly.”

If you’re feeling low, contact your GP, as Raymond did, or if you’re in crisis contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Please always remember that help and support is available.

This week (15 – 21) is Men’s Health Week. While there are many challenges experienced by both men and women in society, mental health is especially relevant for the men in our lives.

By Connor Grogan, AMH Works Trainer

Let’s start with some stats

It’s well known that Northern Ireland has the highest rates of mental-ill health in the UK, with a 25% higher prevalence of mental health issues, compared to England. This means that at any one time here, 1 in 5 people will be experiencing a mental health issue.

What’s that got to do with men? Unfortunately, a lot of the support available is not being accessed by men. On average, women are more likely than men to report signs of a mental health issue; recently, the prescription rate for mood and anxiety disorders was 66% higher among women than men. This means men run the risk of being left behind when it comes to tackling mental health issues in both our communities and work. The support that most women are receiving in Northern Ireland is the same support that there is for men, and with our suicide rates three times the rate of road deaths, increasing trends show men are more at risk of this too.

What does this all mean? Well, men’s mental health is suffering and the lack of engagement with support is clear. If we can reduce stigma and improve our own capacities, personally and professionally, we can work together to break the mould.

‘That’s not how a man should handle things…’

Society places many traditional roles on people. Women have spent hundreds of years combating the many challenges and stereotypes they face, and still do. For men, traditional expectations have been handed down, generation after generation, detailing how a man ‘should’ behave and what masculinity means – this may play a role in the mental health inequalities faced today. In a patriarchal society, there is the expectation that men should be the breadwinners of the family and demonstrate exclusively ‘masculine traits’. These traits include strength, dominance, power and control, with these stereotypes demanding that they get on with things because they’re ‘grand’. This denies a huge spectrum of emotion and feeling, which is the very nature of being human – and when you deny experience, you deny peace of mind.

Many scientists and researchers have shown that men who feel they are unable to speak openly about feelings and rely on traditional ‘manly’ ideals instead, experience increased distress, poorer mental health and actually struggle to recognise when they need help themselves, and are therefore unlikely to reach out for support. So what can I do? Talking about mental health awareness in a variety of personal and professional settings, helps reduce stigma, shatters societal expectations and increases the likelihood of support uptake, especially amongst men.

Suicide and men

Between 2000 and 2018, 4,783 deaths were registered as suicide in NI. In 2018, there was 307 registered deaths by suicide, a familiar figure over the last decade and the third highest since records began in 1970. It’s become common knowledge that men are more likely to die by suicide, but how much more likely? During Men’s Health Week, we acknowledge all lives lost by suicide, and especially the men in our society – with an increasing trend in suicide activity – it must be reduced. In the last 5 years alone, 360 women completed suicide, compared to 1,136 men – nearly four times as many men took their own lives.

Who are these men? They’re husbands, brothers, sons, fathers, colleagues and friends – people. In men under 50, suicide is the leading cause of death in the UK. In 2018, the highest number of male deaths by suicide in NI was in the 25 – 29 age group and 30 – 34 age group. Suicide is also touching young people, suicide figures in under 18s in NI are disproportionately higher when compared to the rest of the UK. It’s clear to see nobody is immune to mental ill-health, however it’s difficult to interpret the trend amongst male suicide in NI as unavoidable – the smallest steps in reducing suicide often make the biggest difference.

If you are seeking help and you, or someone you know is in distress, please contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 anytime, where you can speak to a trained counsellor.

Mental health at work

Fulfilling employment can provide a person with a sense of achievement, purpose and an opportunity to connect with others on a daily basis – it can be great for our physical wellbeing and mental health. However, mental health issues are common and for many people the places they work can have a big impact on their ability to identify and receive help. Companies, no matter how big or small that show they take mental health seriously, and focus on engendering a palpable and proactive wellbeing ethos, experience happier, healthier and more productive employees. It’s been reported that stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 54% of all working days lost due to ill-health. There has also been an increase in ‘presenteeism’ (working whilst unwell) and ‘leaveism’ (using holidays excessively in difficult times). These new and subtle patterns can exacerbate mental health issues and further reduce the likelihood of male support seeking, not to mention economically affecting the business too.

What can an organisation do? People spend 33% of their time at work. Proactive mental health and suicide prevention training as part of this time at work, sends a clear message – that you want to and are able to help within your duty of care, especially to the male workers that may be more traditionally reluctant to come forward. It’s clear that men’s mental health is suffering now, more than ever, but with education and upskilling in our professional and personal lives, it is possible to reduce and recover – together.

AMH Works provide a range of programmes which support employers to improve mental and emotional well-being in the workplace and create Healthy, Resilient Workplaces.

To find out more contact AMH Works Manager, Shelly Wilson on 07540124083 or [email protected].

There may be times when you need extra support. 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.

References

CIPD (2020) Health and well-being at work. Available here.

Mental Health Foundation (2016) Mental health in Northern Ireland: Fundamental Facts 2016. Available here.

Mental Health Foundation (2020) Men and mental health. Available here.

NISRA (2019) Suicide statistics and strategy in Northern Ireland: Update, available here.

The Chartered Institute of Building (2020) Understanding mental health in the built environment, available here.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic forced a temporary closure at AMH Promote’s Bangor base in March 2020, the team has continued to reach out, connect with and support clients with learning disabilities, who already experience higher levels of loneliness and social isolation. These issues have been tackled and inspirational ideas explored, to bring about different ways of maintaining friendships during this unusual time.

Learning new skills, keeping active and eating well improve health and wellbeing. Not surprisingly, virtual versions of this tried and tested approach have been a big hit with AMH Promote clients, as they sofa surf engaging in video tuition from the AMH Promote Facebook page and avail of learning opportunities as they take part in a diversity of activities. Learning Monday’s Makaton sign of the week, creating hand outline artwork, appreciating nature during Wednesday Walks and building life skills such as simple healthy cooking , are just some of the fabulous activities on offer!

60 group Zoom sessions have offered regular engagement and learning opportunities for clients all helping to reunite and strengthen the group.  The timetable of Zoom sessions has grown to 12 each week and attendance has been consistently high.  Promote clients have also availed of 20 individual Zoom sessions.

Taking a positive approach by locking down the importance of friendships during this pandemic has become the theme behind this year’s Learning and Disability Week, which runs from Monday 15 to Sunday 21 June 2020.

Find out more and get involved with #LDWeek2020

Some 80,000 people in Northern Ireland have been ‘shielding’ during the pandemic – isolating themselves from others due to underlying health conditions.

That’s 80,000 people at risk of loneliness. This week the One Less Lonely Voice campaign to combat loneliness shines the spotlight on those people – and everyone else who feels lonely, even in a houseful of people.

Loneliness Awareness Week was launched by the Marmalade Trust to break the stigma attached to loneliness and encourage people to speak about it openly.

With the one-to-one events and get-togethers which usually mark the campaign moved online this year due to the coronavirus situation, the #LetsTalkLoneliness campaign is encouraging everyone to have conversations about loneliness to combat the stigma attached to it.

The campaign is all about empowering people to understand loneliness one conversation at a time, to help ourselves and others manage feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness has long been associated with mental ill-health, but in these unprecedented times, and with restrictions on our movement still preventing us from hugging people we love, those feelings of loneliness have, for many, gone to the next level.

AMH staff have been engaged in a number of virtual support programmes, continuing clients’ vocational training and arts and crafts via Zoom and the like.

At AMH New Horizons Foyle, clients have been front and centre during the lockdown. Service Manager Pauline Flanagan explained: “Staff have been providing virtual support and training since Covid 19 shut down at end of March. Clients said the support prevented crisis onsets and helped to maintain their well-being.”

Similarly, in Fermanagh, staff at AMH have been helping to prevent clients from feeling lonely during the continuing pandemic restrictions.

Service Manager of AMH New Horizons Fermanagh said: “Staff felt it was important to connect in a more personal way with clients during this time and we agreed that each of them would receive a personalised activity pack which would be delivered to their door. These deliveries have gone out to more than 70 of the most vulnerable clients across the county.”

In such a prolonged period of isolation that the world has rarely seen, people of all ages have been impacted like never before. Children have been denied the social aspect of school, while there is also particular concern about the effects of isolation on the elderly, particularly those with pre-existing mental health problems.

A survey by the college of 1,300 mental health doctors from across the UK found that 43 per cent had seen an increase in their urgent and emergency caseload while 45 per cent had seen a reduction in their most routine appointments. Doctors have said it was important for people suffering mental ill health that services were still available, even during these difficult times.

The Patient and Client Council is conducting a survey of people advised to shield due to the risks of COVID-19, and those who are supporting them. You can take it here.

The findings from this survey will outline key themes for the Department of Health to consider when adapting current restrictions for those shielding.

For help on dealing with mental health issues related to loneliness and other matters visit the websites below for a variety of information and helplines, if you are in crisis or distress please call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

https://covidwellbeingni.info/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mental-health-helplines/

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/loneliness-in-older-people/

Men’s Health Week this year focuses on the coronavirus pandemic and encourages men to Take Action on Covid-19. The week-long campaign looks at avoiding the spread of the disease and ways men can adhere to social distancing guidelines.

One particular aspect, however – which concentrates mens’ efforts on ‘taking action to get the best out of lockdown and the new normal’ – allows us to explore its impact on men’s mental health.

It will be further explored in a specially-curated event being offered by Action Mental Health’s MensSana team when men will be invited to learn self-care techniques to support their mental health.

The bitesize session, based on AMH MensSana’s ‘Provoking Thought’ programme, will identify issues facing men during the lockdown and will offer signposting to further support services available to men.

The event takes place twice per day during Men’s Health Week at 10.30am and 7.30pm via Zoom and will last 30 minutes. Sessions are free and you can enrol for them here.

Largest psychological experiment ever

Dr Elke Van Hoof, Professor at Vrije Universiteit Brussel, described the continuing lockdown as the largest psychological experiment ever, with some 2.6bn people across the world its reluctant subjects.

With one in ten people suffering from a mental health disorder around the world – and one in five in Northern Ireland – the Covid-19 pandemic will be proving a particularly anxious and uncertain time.

A new well-being hub for Northern Ireland launched last week and is packed full of helpful resources and links to support, the site can be reached by clicking on: mindingyourhead.info

As Men’s Health takes place, we should all encourage the men in our life to:  

• Connect with others
• Help and support others
• Talk about your worries
• Look after your physical well-being
• Get enough sleep
• Try to manage difficult feelings
• Do things you enjoy
• Set goals
• Keep your mind active
• Take time to relax and focus on the present
• Get some fresh air

For more help and advice on managing feelings and relaxation techniques visit Every Mind Matters and NHS’ mindfulness page and NHS mental wellbeing audio guides

A new virtual wellbeing hub to promote positive mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic has been launched.

The Department for Communities and the Department of Health have partnered with 15 leading mental and well-being health charities and the Healthy Living Centre Alliance representing 28 local Healthy Living Centres to focus on promoting mental health and well-being during and after the Covid-19 emergency.

A UK wide study involving Queen’s University Belfast has explored the psychological impact of lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic on people here.  The survey of over 2,500 people  included 470 people from NI of which one third have been found to meet the criteria for anxiety (30%) and depression (33%), and one in five (20%) meet the criteria for Covid-19 related PTSD due to the current pandemic. 

Commenting on the launch of the online hub Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey, said: “The CovidWellbeingNI partnership draws together an unprecedented wealth of expertise and support with one clear aim – to promote the positive mental health of people including those vulnerable people and communities who are struggling at this time.

“Existing inequalities have been amplified by the Covid-19 pandemic and it is important that information and support reach as many people as possible.”

The CovidWellbeingNI partnership is calling on people:

• To acknowledge how they are feeling and coping at this time
• Take  positive action to look after their mental health
• Reach out for help and support.

The online well-being hub at www.mindingyourhead.info draws together information, self-help guides and ways to find support on a range of mental health and well-being issues.

Health Minister Robin Swann said: “This is a key part of the Covid Mental Health Response Plan I announced two weeks ago. I would encourage people to use this unique and impressive resource created as a direct response to the emotional impact Covid-19 is having on our society.”

Action Mental Health Chief Executive, David Babington added: “We are delighted to be involved in this brilliant initiative at this time, it is especially welcome to see so many organisations across different sectors pulling together to help support the well-being of our local communities.”

Employees at SDC Trailers in Toomebridge and sister company MDF Engineering in Antrim have together raised £25,644 for Action Mental Health during a 12-month charity partnership. As many fundraising events have been placed on hold due to COVID-19, the local trailer manufacturing group has signed up with the charity for a second year as they turn to digital channels to offer virtual sessions. The funds have been used to support Action Mental Health’s services which enhance the quality of life, and employability of people with mental health needs or a learning disability.

SDC Trailers President, Paul Bratton said: “Having seen the fantastic facilities and services that Action Mental Health offer, we were very keen to work with them for a second year. While the issue of mental health and well-being has come to the forefront during the pandemic, the services offered by Action Mental Health provide vital support to those affected. As well as fundraising, a number of our managers have been selected to participate in mental health awareness training online, which aims to give them the tools to recognise, understand and promote emotional wellbeing within the workplace.”

SDC established a joint campaign with the MensSana team to promote the charity’s ‘Healthy Me’ and ‘Provoking Thought’ programmes to eighty-three local primary and secondary schools. Before the pandemic, thirty-one workshops were completed with teachers and children at these schools, including Cookstown High School, St. Pius X College, New Row P.S., St. John’s P.S., Cookstown P.S. and St Columb’s P.S.

With social distancing measures now in place, Action Mental Health has re-shaped their programmes to offer sessions for children and adults at schools and community groups online. The charity’s Slieve Donard trek on 20^th June will be held as a virtual event where people take on the challenge of 2,230 steps – the estimated amount to go up and down the 850m peak.

 Fundraising and Communications Manager at Action Mental Health, Jonathan Smyth said:

“We are absolutely delighted that SDC Trailers and MDF Engineering have committed to supporting Action Mental Health for a second year. The staff have managed to raise an amazing amount already and those donations have been put to good use, providing vital services in our local community. As a local charity, we rely on fundraising and donations to help provide our services, so the support from SDC and MDF is sincerely appreciated.

We know that this period has been particularly difficult for many people, so this support is needed now, more than ever. Action Mental Health has been able to continue providing services remotely whilst face to face contact is not possible. Thank you to everyone at SDC and MDF.”