The 2021 Mental Health Tsunami...

I think everyone can agree 2020 was just weird! For the first time in my life, and I guess many others every appointment and arrangement both business and private was cancelled or put on permanent hold.

We decided to ‘shut up shop’ as it were in early March 2020 ,a week before the country were told to go home, self isolate and work from home. Our contingency plan was simple; cease all face to face interventions and go digital. Its been an interesting transition and for us, one we couldn’t have envisaged without actually been forced to think creatively. We thought the lockdown would exacerbate existing problems such as isolation and loneliness, and for those those suffering from depression we expected an influx of self harming behaviours. Interestingly, it never actually panned out like that, as those we had regular virtual contact with actually enjoyed the immediacy of a ‘one to one’ virtual connection whilst sat in the comfort of their own home. Of course, there were those that needed a little practical help with food parcels and delivery of prescriptions etc but all of those issues were very quickly addressed through multiple partnerships and the willingness of many to work together for the first time. Such relationships have endured and so far we haven’t had a crisis we couldn’t address collectively, and this is simply because everyone is just that little bit more flexible empathetic and understanding. Yet more importantly, there is a willingness across all services to make themselves available to help out those in need. That is the power of community! That isn’t to say that uncertainty about the future isn’t a problem… it is! Lockdown 3 will test the mettle of all, and the worry is frontline workers will become exhausted either before vaccination or very soon after. Burn out will happen. Mental Health counsellors will in the coming months be needed more than ever with an estimated 13 million people across the country in desperate need of specialist support and advice. The reality is, there just isn’t enough to go around so people will have to wait even longer for ‘needs led’ person centred support, which will cause significant problems in the long run.

We all know that in the absence of talking therapies people either self medicate or are medicated by the state, both routes create problems for both the individual and society. In the coming months the resilience of the great British public will be tested further and communities will have to find ways to support each other. The crisis has shone a spotlight on the really important things in life and for many the loss of personal freedom and employment will weigh heavy on society and individuals alike for years to come. National debt has rocketed in the last 10 months and its clear things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. However, the perennial question of who nurtures the nurturers will need to be factored into any sustainable intervention. If we lose sight of the crucial contribution of low paid frontline workers, volunteers ,carers, medicos, and community leaders we are in trouble. Asset Based Community Development will help us build on the assets that are found in the community and mobilises individuals, associations, and institutions to come together to realise and develop their strengths. Community Self help is the way forward and we all need to have a say in how ‘change’ in the next ten years will impact our lives…so if you can, be of service to others and get political. The time has come to look to the words of JFK and …

"Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Good Luck… we are all in this together.

Tony Wright CEO