Looking after our mental health is important every day of the year, but World Mental Health Day provides us with the opportunity to pause and reflect on the mental health of ourselves and those around us. The day falls on 10 October every year and intends to raise awareness and encourage people to support efforts that promote positive mental health.

Throughout the C0VID-19 pandemic and beyond, the Mental Health Improvement Team at NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde (NHSGGC), hosted within Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) have been working to expand their suite of resources to promote mental health in our communities.

While mental health is at the front of people’s minds for World Mental Health Day, the Mental Health Improvement Team are encouraging people to develop their knowledge around mental health and make the most of the resources that are available. 

Heather Sloan, Health Improvement Lead (Mental Health) said: “You don’t have to be an expert to have a conversation about mental health or to make a difference. Our team is keen to create a culture where everyone has a basic understanding of mental health, and where people with mental health difficulties don’t face stigma or discrimination. Mental health is everyone’s business, and so we encourage all of our colleagues to spend some time familiarising themselves with the resources on offer.”

The following mental health resources are the latest in the range that our team have developed covering several key areas:

Perinatal Period - ‘Perinatal Mental Health Best Practice Guide’ that supports staff to have conversations with parents about their mental health during the perinatal period. It also signposts to supports appropriate to their needs.

Children and Young People - ‘Mental Health Resources for Schools and Youth Organisations’ is a comprehensive document offering a range of suggested resources that can be used in schools. The resource helps to protect, promote, and support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. 

Bereavement - The ‘Grief After a Bereavement’ poster shares information on healthy ways in which we can manage our grief. It is available to download in various languages. 

Nature and Mental Health - To mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2021, the ‘Green Spaces of Greater Glasgow and Clyde’ resource was developed. It highlights local green spaces across the area and provides resources on boosting wellbeing by being out in nature. 

Healthy Minds Awareness Raising Sessions - The team have also updated its Healthy Minds Awareness Raising resource with two new sessions on ‘Mental Health and Alcohol’ and ‘Stigma and Discrimination’. They are the latest sessions in the Healthy Minds collection that cover a range of topics that impact mental health. All sessions can be downloaded from the team’s website. 

Online Learning - During the unprecedented times of the pandemic where face-to-face training was limited, the team collated a range of free online learning opportunities around mental health. This was developed into an ‘Online Learning Opportunities’ resource.

The full range of mental health resources and planning tools can be accessed at the Mental Health Improvement Team’s site: NHSGGC : Child & Youth Mental Health. If you have any questions or would like to know more, please email the team on ggc.mhead@ggc.scot.nhs.uk