Help tackle loneliness this Mental Health Awareness Week

It’s Mental health Awareness Week, and this year’s theme is loneliness.

Loneliness affects millions of people in the UK every year and is a key driver of poor mental health. The Foundation’s Mental Health in the Pandemic research has found that loneliness has been exacerbated by the Covid pandemic.

Within the construction sector, the statistics are even more concerning. HSE statistics show that in 2021, stress, depression and anxiety accounted for 27% of all ill-health in the construction sector. Industry charity The Lighthouse Club says that two construction workers take their own lives every working day. 

ECA offers Online Mental Health First Aid courses. We have delivered both half day and two-day online versions and trained over 100 Members. 

It’s great to listen to people who attend our sessions talk about their mental health and share their experiences. This helps us all develop understanding and gain greater insight into mental health, which improves the working environment.

ECA offers training either directly for Members or via the Electrical Industries Charity. For more information contact your Regional Manager or email paul.williams@eca.co.uk.

Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Loneliness is affecting more and more of us in the UK and has had a huge impact on our physical and mental health during the pandemic.   That is why we have chosen it as our theme for Mental Health Awareness Week 2022.  

“Our connection to other people and our community is fundamental to protecting our mental health so we much find better ways of tackling the epidemic of loneliness. We can all play a part in this.   The week is also an invaluable opportunity for people to talk about all aspects of mental health, with a focus on providing help and advice.”

I often find it interesting that most of us can talk about our physical health and issues freely. But when it comes to talking about our metal health, which you could argue is more important than physical health, people find it more challenging to open up. 

We all have mental health in the same way we have physical health, so why not be open about it? What gets in the way? One reason is linked to stigma around mental health. 

This is reinforced by all the pejorative language associated with poor mental health. For example, think about the words you know associated with labelling mental health; ‘nut job’, ‘loony’ or ‘crackers’ to name just a few. 

Now try and think of positive words or phrases that describe poor mental health... challenging, isn’t it? Yet our mental health is essential to feeling fulfilled and energised in our lives. 

How can we affect change about mental health? One way is through mental health awareness and first aid courses. This training helps to reframe mental health in a more positive way.  It challenges some of the stigma and assumptions about our own and others mental health.