Preventing poor mental health and promoting healthy emotional wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility. The increasing prevalence and severity of mental health problems can feel overwhelming. What can we individually do? What can services do? Healthcare provider organisations are well set up to ‘react’ to problems once they have arise and a diagnosis is made. There are guidelines, research findings and treatment manuals to guide clinical practice. However, by this point, the individual is experiencing distress, their family and important others are worried, perhaps the individual has had to take time off work, step back from their usual activities and their life is changing. Waiting lists for help are often long and there is risk of further deterioration as unhelpful coping strategies become more entrenched and problems are maintained.
Imagine if, early on in someone’s journey, when they first began to worry, when they first began to experience disturbed sleep, or become irritable, they could receive support. Imagine if, before relationships are affected, before time off work is needed and before problems become overwhelming, they could access early support. Support that provides individuals with the skills to understand their feelings and steps for change.
The MEND Research was developed on the premise that more people can manage their emotions if they receive support early. Taking a preventative approach to mental health care, just like we do for physical health conditions, has the potential to reduce distress and provide benefits on multiple levels.
It’s important to note that providing preventative mental healthcare in General Practice settings doesn’t mean ‘medicalising’ normal distress. We do not aim to increase referrals to already under-pressure mental health services. Instead, the goal is to enhance people's skills to manage during periods of difficulty. The opportunity to be heard in a longer appointment, develop a psychological understanding and learn skills to exit from unhelpful cycles and patterns of coping can help individuals avoid needing additional mental health services.
We recognise that preventative healthcare needs to be multi-faceted. Not all interventions that impact mental health happen in a clinic room. Opportunities for social engagement, fresh air, good quality housing and nutritious food all significantly impact our mental health. All pieces of the jigsaw puzzle need to come together to complete the picture and increase resilience, both individually and within the community. However, an essential part of that puzzle is having the understanding and skills to manage emotional distress. Of course, part of being human is to experience feelings, however, what can vary is people’s knowledge and ability to tolerate or cope with the emotional responses they may have to different situations. Teaching basic psychological skills as part of a brief, psychologically-informed intervention can help prevent distress and promote positive emotional wellbeing.
