1 in 4 British adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in any one year.
We’re here to help.
Mental Health Support is a project managed by New Horizons Mental Health Charity.
The project has been created to offer information, advice, and contacts in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
We aim to provide accessible advice and information about mental health issues and services to people with mental health problems, their carers, health professionals, and anyone else with an interest in mental illness.
What is Mental Health?
Mental health is not just the absence of mental disorder. It is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.
Many factors can influence the development of mental illness. When a person is experiencing mental illness, especially for the first time, he or she often feels isolated and useless. This is a stressful time for the person who is ill, as well as friends and family who may be are worried and confused by what is happening to their loved one.
Different patients will respond to a diagnosis of mental illness in different ways. For example, some will insist that there is nothing wrong with them; others will fear that they may never be well again. But in most cases, with proper treatment, medication, and support, mental illness can be relieved and a normal life resumed.
Most mental illnesses do not require hospital treatment. In some cases, however, the person who is ill may need to go in to hospital to receive proper diagnosis, care, evaluation, and treatment.
The diagnosis and treatment of mental illness is no longer a terrible thing to be feared and avoided. Many organisations in the U.K. today campaign tirelessly to dispel the myths and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. With the right diagnosis, treatment, and support, recovery from mental illness is not only possible, but likely. Treatment and recovery bring about a better outlook on life, and consequently a better quality of life, for both the patient and society.
Mixed anxiety & depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain, with almost 9% of people meeting criteria for diagnosis."
The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report, 2001
Between 8-12% of the population experience depression in any year.
The Office for National Statistics Psychiatric Morbidity report, 2001
About half of people with common mental health problems are no longer affected after 18 months, but poorer people, the long-term sick and unemployed people are more likely to be still affected than the general population.
Better Or Worse: A Longitudinal Study Of The Mental Health Of Adults In Great Britain, National Statistics, 2003