Celebrating World Mental Health Day

Posted on 10th October, 2015

Devon Partnership NHS Trust is reminding people across the county that, today, 10 October is World Mental Health Day. Chief Executive, Melanie Walker’ says:  “We know that at least one in four of us will have a mental health need at some point in our lives and there are very few people who do not have close friends or family with experience of mental health and emotional wellbeing issues. “For some people their condition may be lifelong and it may ebb and flow in terms of severity for their whole lives.  For others, it may be a one-off event caused by a personal trauma of some kind.  Whatever the case, our staff are there to provide care, support and compassion.  We strive to help people achieve their personal goals, manage their own care and to move towards recovery – whatever that may mean for them.  “For many people, and their carers and families, mental health and wellbeing is something at the forefront of their lives, every day of the year.  Just once a year, on World Mental Health Day, we ask everyone to stop for a moment and think about it – and to think about how they may be able support family, friends and other people they know who have issues related to their mental health and emotional wellbeing.” The Trust is joining forces with Exeter City Football Club and a host of other organisations involved in mental health for the club’s specially designated One Game One Community match at home to Stevenage on Sunday 11 October.  Staff from our Depression and Anxiety Service will be in the Red Square Area, outside the club shop, to talk about how they can help people who are feeling low, stressed, anxious or depressed.  This service can be accessed by phone, email or via an online self-referral form, by clicking here.  Last year the service received around 18,000 referrals, 80% of which were self-referrals. The Exeter City supporters group, the ExEC Club, is also hosting a group of people who use our service at New Leaf in Exminster, which offers therapy, training and supported employment to people living with a mental health condition. The Mental Health Foundation has produced a pack of interesting facts about mental health to support World Mental Health Day  Numbers at-a-glance about Devon Partnership NHS Trust:

• £133m – our annual budget
• 2,350 – number of staff we employ
• 59,000 – total number of referrals to our organisation in 2014/15
• 900 – number of people we make contact with every day
• 1,985 – number of referrals to our Memory Clinics last year (to diagnose dementia)
• 516 – number of referrals to our gender identity services last year
• 1,300 – number of organisations that have signed our MINDFUL EMPLOYER Charter