Tag: Mental Health

Festival of celebrations

A week celebrating our achievements over the year

Hosted by Chief Executive, Caroline Donovan and her team of directors, the festivals have focused on the improvements made since the CQC inspection and the commitment of staff during this unprecedented year. What soon became clear, was the overwhelming sense of teamwork, commitment and dedication from each and every staff member, both clinical and non-clinical.

Each day celebrated a different network including;

  • Community and well-being
  • Children and young people
  • South Cumbria
  • Mental Health
  • Corporate services

What was evident was how each team adapted to the new way of working, ensuring safety was at the forefront of everything. Even through the pandemic, support has still been offered to patients and families, providing excellent patient care each and every day. Every network has embraced the use of digital software, from attend anywhere to Microsoft Teams, allowing people and patients to stay connected.

Congratulations to all those individuals and teams who were nominated and of course to the winners. To watch the videos click here.

Evidence updates

Recommendations for continued care and support of people who are clinically extremely vulnerable
Royal College of Physicians (RCP); 2020.
(Statement from the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Royal College of General Practitioners, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, National Voices and specialist societies highlighting the challenges faced by both doctors and patients in identifying and reducing the risks associated with COVID-19 for the most clinically vulnerable people.)

Expanding the primary care workforce in 2020/21 .
NHS England & NHS Improvement; 2020.
(Actions for CCGs, PCNs and STPs resulting from People Plan and Third phase of NHS response to covid-19.)

Reintroduction of NHS continuing healthcare.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC); 2020.
(Sets out how clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) will restart NHS continuing healthcare (CHC) assessment processes from 1 September 2020.Published 21 August 2020.)

Virtual training for midwives during a pandemic.
Abramson P. British Journal of Midwifery 2020;28(8):502–503.
(When a baby dies, it is a tragedy at any time but during the COVID-19 pandemic, bereaved families and the professionals supporting them have been faced with additional and often distressing challenges. Restrictions have made access to hospitals difficult for partners and other family members, while support services that would normally be provided for bereaved parents have been unavailable or severely limited.)

Ketamine as a mental health treatment: Are acute psychoactive effects associated with outcomes? A systematic review.
Grabski M. Behavioural Brain Research 2020;392:112629.
(The databases Medline, Embase and PsycInfo were searched. The studies reviewed displayed great variability in methodology and quality of reporting. The most commonly assessed effect was dissociation, measured by the CADSS. Our results suggest that the CADSS total is not consistently associated with antidepressant outcomes. Apart from this, the current literature is too limited to draw definite conclusions on an association between acute psychoactive effects and mental health outcomes.)


Returning to school after lockdown

Top tips for parents

With many children going back to school, there may be mixed emotions and feelings from different family members. The Mental Health Foundation have some practical advice to make the transition from home to school as smooth as possible. Their top tips include:

  • Talking – talk about their worries/concerns about going back to school
  • Get your children into a good sleep routine
  • Talk about the daily routines of school life
  • Develop coping strategies including breathing exercises, seeing friends or exercise
  • Make yourself available as much as possible, even simple things like going for a walk or baking may allow your child opportunities to talk rather than asking them directly
  • Be positive and discuss all the good things that are happening

For more details or resources to use at home click here.

NHS Reset

A campaign to shape what the health and care system could look life post COVID

Mental health services have faced unprecedented challenges due to COVID-19. They quickly and effectively moved to different ways of working to protect service users and staff. As we move to the next phase of the pandemic, we expect demand for mental health support to increase and to remain high for some time. This will have serious implications on resourcing and staff wellbeing.

This report from the NHS Reset campaign considers what mental health services need to prepare for, for the expected surge in demand. It also highlights how the health and care system can ‘reset’ the way care and support are planned and delivered in aftermath of COVID-19.

To find out more about the campaign click here.

Exercise to your ability NOT your age

Don’t let age be a factor when determining what exercise you do

We all know exercise is good for us but research has shown that exercise in older adults is linked to lower disease risk, reduced risks of falls and better overall health. Our bodies change as we age, but this shouldn’t change our attitudes towards exercise. We simply need to choose the type of exercise that is suitable for our ability. Whether it’s low intensity activities (walking, jogging, cycling), HITT (high intensity interval training) or resistance training- don’t let age be a limiting factor.

Exercise is also shown to improve mental health, well being, cognitive function and improve life expectancy. We should all aim to be physically active daily and get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week . Simple things like reducing the amount of time sitting or lying down can make a difference.

So not matter your age- let your ability be the factor that determines your physical health.

To read more about this topic click here.

The Mental Elf

An online resource to keep up to date with mental health research and guidance

Mental heath experts summarise evidence based publications relevant to mental health practice.

They find key guidance, systematic reviews and high quality research and reports to help make your practice more evidence based.

You can also join evidence based journal clubs interactive webinars targeted at your field, or suggest a paper to be discussed.

Best of all, their work is free to read and access.

To access click this link.

Mental and Physical Health

Five activities that can protect your mental and physical health as you age

No one is immune to developing chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer or arthritis as they get older. But research shows social activities, like joining clubs, interest groups or volunteering, are linked to better mental and physical health and a longer lifespan.

Read more here

Report

Recreating parks: securing the future of our urban green spaces

In this briefing paper, the cross-party think-tank states that parks and green spaces should be seen as a tool of health care in the same way as medicines and therapies. Giving the NHS a role in supporting parks and green spaces would allow doctors to make more use of social prescribing techniques where patients are told to take exercise and spend time outdoors to boost physical and mental health.

Survey Results

Understanding people’s concerns about the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic

The Academy of Medical Sciences, together with the research charity MQ: Transforming Mental Health, is working with researchers and those with lived experience to ensure that mental health is at the heart of research into the impacts of COVID-19. This report describes the findings of a consultation undertaken in late March 2020, the week that the Prime Minister announced the UK lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.