Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

Today is the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2019, which aims to help people understand, protect and sustain their mental health. Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, discusses some of the work we are doing both within the organisation and for the wider community to contribute to this goal.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2019

I suspect that many of us have direct or indirect experience of poor mental health, whether personally or via family and friends. I certainly have, and the impact it can have when someone doesn’t feel able to ask for help can be devastating. Thankfully our societal willingness to talk about this subject is improving and I’m committed to making RSPB Scotland an organisation where anyone feels able to ask for help knowing they’ll receive it.

Mental Health Awareness Week will run from 13 – 19 May, with this year’s theme focused on body image. This week is a great way to raise your own awareness about mental health and take opportunities to open- up conversations about mental health with friends and colleagues. It also falls within RSPB’s own Wellness Month, with many keen Wellness Champions running activities for staff to help improve their resilience and try new experiences.

We know, as a result of our own research and research by others, that varied and wildlife-rich natural environments with inspiring landscapes are most effective in promoting sociable walking and a healthier lifestyle. Time spent in natural environments is known to promote a positive outlook on life and enhance our ability to cope with, and recover from, stress, illness and injury. At RSPB Scotland we need to ensure we aren’t just promoting the health benefits of our environment to others but also ensure that every member of staff and all of our volunteers have opportunities to enjoy time spent in nature. Take time this week and every week to go outdoors.

We have several innovative projects underway which aim to improve mental health and provide greater inclusivity for all. In Shetland, for example, a partnership project between NHS Shetland and RSPB Scotland, has been extended following a successful pilot. All of Shetland’s GPs can prescribe nature as part of their patient’s treatment. “Nature Prescriptions” recognises the benefits of nature on reducing blood pressure, reducing anxiety and increasing happiness as well as the growing disconnection with nature throughout society. A Shetland GP, Dr Mark Maudsley of Levenwick surgery, kindly wrote a piece about Nature Prescriptions for the New Statesman which you can find here. The scheme also produced a “calendar of ideas” which is available on the Healthy Shetland website here. The response to this initiative has been extraordinary and we’re currently looking at ways to extend it into other parts of the country.

Looking internally, we have also joined the ‘See Me in Work’ scheme, which challenges employers to create and maintain a mentally healthy workplace, and to end discrimination and stigma. As part of the programme, we recently carried out a survey of the well-being of our staff and we will be holding a series of focus groups over the summer to discuss the results, before preparing a Mental Health action plan in the Autumn. In the meantime, our network of Mental Health First Aiders continues to provide support and advice to any of our staff and volunteers who’d like a chat or support.

RSPB Scotland is also an active member of Scotland’s National Rural Mental Health Forum. The Forum is made up of around 100 different organisations, which operate in Scotland’s rural communities. We are proud to be able to support our rural staff, and provide signposting for members of the local community, as well as offering valuable access to the natural world through our reserves and community engagement work.

It’s incredibly important that we engage with ways to improve mental health and wellbeing, and ways we can better support ourselves and others, during this week and beyond. There are several ways you can get involved in activities which improve your own mental health, and help you support a friend, family member of colleague who may be having a tough time. See Me provide free training on their website and you can view important messages about the “Power of OK” on YouTube:

Power of Okay- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC4QzwlmhxQ&t=8s

Power of Okay Part 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JkmynvkXJo