People in the Midlands who feel their mental health has suffered during lockdown are being urged to seek the NHS mental health support they need.

Latest figures show one in five fewer people are coming forward in the Midlands to access support for anxiety and depression.

People are being urged to seek help straight away by talking to their GP or self-referring online for talking therapies through www.nhs.uk. The message is clear: Help Us, Help You.

NHS talking therapies, also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), is a confidential service run by fully trained experts. The service is a free, effective and confidential way to treat common mental health issues. They help people by working through feelings of anxiety or depression with a trained therapist.

The service has been running safely throughout the pandemic with almost 95% of talking therapies delivered remotely from July 2020 through a digital platform or over the phone, allowing people to stay in contact and get support more flexibly and comfortably.

NHS talking therapies are conducted in confidence and help is available face to face, by phone or online. For those whose first language is not English, talking therapies can be delivered through multi-lingual therapists or through confidential translators.

Many mental health services can be accessed remotely without even going into a GP surgery with patients being assessed as to what level of support they may need. There are a number of online resources that people can access via their GP, which have been very popular during lockdown. These are accessible following a GP referral.

Giles Tinsley, Programme Director for Mental Health at NHS England and NHS Improvement in the Midlands, said:

“The NHS is here to support people suffering from anxiety and depression safely during the current lockdown. It is vital that people struggling with mental illnesses, seek support. We know that many people are feeling lonely, having Covid-19 symptoms, working from home, caring for children and struggling financially.

“NHS talking therapies can be an invaluable help to anyone who is struggling with anxiety and depression through Covid-19 and lockdown. The service has been available throughout the pandemic and continues to be safe and open to everyone who feels they might benefit from the invaluable help that psychological therapies can provide.

“I would urge anyone who is struggling with anxiety or depression to please come forward. Getting help is easy by asking your GP for a referral to NHS talking therapies, or you can self-refer via nhs.uk/talk.”

To find out more about talking therapies, visit the NHS website.

For people who are not in need of clinical support, but suffering with common mental health issues such as low mood, stress, anxiety or sleep problems; the Every Mind Matters online resource has advice and tips on how to improve your mental wellbeing. The resource has been updated to include help for adults and children and young people who are struggling with issues relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Search for Every Mind Matters or visit: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters and you can put together your own personal Mind Plan to support your mental wellbeing through this challenging time.