A new mental health guide, available to download for free, has been launched by the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust. The charity was set up in 1997 in memory of Charlie Waller, a young man who took his own life due to his struggles with depression. Their core goal is to help people recognise the signs of depression in both themselves and others, while also educating and informing young people on how to look after their own mental wellbeing.
The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust train and educate parents and teachers as well as college and university staff to identify when a young person might be struggling with anxiety and/or depression and how best to offer the necessary first line support. As a charity, they work with a network of over 40 highly skilled mental health trainers who deliver training across the UK.
Included in the guide is helpful advice for students which gives practical steps for individuals who are struggling to concentrate or who are having trouble sleeping. Their goal is to help students recognise potential symptoms of anxiety and depression and how best to combat them.
The resource reassures students that anxiety and depression are very common mental health issues and provides examples of helpful things to do in the moment when anxiety and/or depression strikes. A key piece of advice found in the guide is for students to be open about their feelings and talk about problems that they may be facing. It also encourages students to access support services through their GPs and through their college or university. The guide complements ‘studentsagainstdepression.org’, a comprehensive mental health website for students which is funded by the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.
The launch of this resource is in conjunction with the charity’s #RunForWellbeing initiative, which stresses the benefits of exercise for mental wellbeing and promotes regular exercise to help improve mental health. Throughout the guide there are reminders to students that it is important to take time to get fresh air and exercise every day in order to reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
The CEO of the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, Clare Stafford, stated:
“Our charity’s mission is to equip young people with the tools they need to take care of their mental health, and to encourage them to seek help if they are depressed or experiencing other mental health issues. With the launch of our new resource for students, we hope to highlight that mental health issues are very common in this demographic, while offering practical, effective support”.
She added: “We understand that if you’re depressed, it can be really difficult to get active, but we want to encourage students to consider that, whatever your choice of exercise- running, swimming, dancing, football, yoga, walking – physical activity can be really good for your mental health”.
If you or someone you know is currently struggling with their mental health you can access immediate help from:
Samaritans
Telephone: 116 123
Papyrus HOPELine
Telephone: 0800 068 4141
CALM
Telephone: 0800 58 58 58
SANE
Telephone: 0300 304 7000
Textcare: www.sane.org.uk/textcare
Main image: cc4c.imperial.nhs.uk