This weekend, local charity Trauma Healing Together held another Mental Health & Wellbeing Festival. Originally taking place in 2021, the festival was created to offer support and reconnect people coming out of the pandemic. This year, the focus was on breaking stigma around the subject of mental health, and increasing awareness around the support that is available for those struggling.
Although over the years we have no doubt seen progression around the way we approach mental health, sadly, most people still suffer in silence. Perhaps it is down to individuals feeling ashamed of their feelings, guilty for their emotions, or maybe some may think that it’s ‘all just in their head’.
It is these misconceptions that are responsible for the heartbreaking number of suicide related deaths we see across the country. According to the Scotland Public Health Observatory, there were 753 deaths recorded last year. While this number is a slight decrease from the previous year (805), it is undoubtedly 753 deaths too many.
The Perth and Kinross Mental Health & Wellbeing Festival gathered in Horsecross this weekend, bringing together different charities and not-for-profit organisations, whose goal is to see this number of deaths decrease.
PLUS Perth held a stall, where they provided leaflets from their recent studies with Dundee Healthy Minds Network and Angus Voice. The study explored the experiences of NHS Tayside Mental Health Services and was conducted through surveys offered to service users. There were 403 participants in total, with 48% coming from Perth and Kinross, 35% from Dundee, and 14% from Angus. The survey found that while many participants reported receiving empathy from individuals and teams, negative feedback outweighed the positive by over 5 to 1.
The issues that were raised the most were: poor response to suicide risk, psychological therapy absent in hospital, absence of follow-up, excessive waiting times, no support in times of heightened need, service over-reliance on medication, and additional communication needs not being met.
Compared to the findings from four years ago, there was a significant decrease in the satisfaction with care. It is apparent that NHS Tayside is rushing changes within its services before careful consideration, and that NHS Tayside is overestimating its own progress.
You can find out more about the survey here.
Perth and Kinross local charity, Mindspace, also made an appearance. The organisation has been running for over 40 years, providing one-to-one counselling. Not only this, but Mindspace runs its own Recovery College, in which they provide courses that focus on understanding and managing mental ill health through an educational approach.
Find out more about the charity here.
Kinross-based charity, The Stephen Lyon Organisation, also held a stall at the event. SLO specialises in empowering those who struggle with suicidal ideology and difficulties with their own mental health, providing them with support to help them regain control. The organisation was set up after the heartbreaking death of Stephen Lyon, only 21 years old, who took his life in 2020. His family set up the charity, taking a personal approach in helping others. Covering Kinross and all surrounding areas, the team is very passionate about providing their support.
Find out more about the charity here.
Another organisation that set up stall this year was Wellbeing Scotland, who offer their services to the Perth and Kinross area with thanks to funding from The Gannochy Trust. Having supported people with mental health difficulties for over 27 years, Wellbeing Scotland has a specialist background in working with those who have experienced trauma, but are open to all.
Find out more about the charity here.
There were various other charities and not-for-profit organisations at the Mental Health & Wellbeing festival this year, including a women’s support group, Linda’s Ladies. This group was set up by Linda, who has had her struggles with Borderline Personality Disorder. Her personal struggles inspired her to start up this support group, helping other women who would otherwise be suffering in silence.
Linda runs a Facebook group, which you can check out here.
All Strong Scotland is a not-for-profit gym, or as they describe themselves, the ‘anti-gym’. Offering up their space to marginalised groups through free programs, in which they work with people from Murray Royal, refugees, unpaid carers, the LGBT+ community, and many more, providing them with confidence in the gym. All Strong also offers public membership at just £15 per month, giving access to their gym and services. Taking a very mental-health-based approach, the holistic gym strives to help those use fitness as a means to feel better within their body and their mind.
Find out more about the gym here.
The festival well and truly succeeded in giving charities the space to introduce themselves to the community, making themselves visible to those that may need to use their services. The topic of mental health is certainly one that we should not tread around; instead, face it head-on and treat it as we would any physical disease. Especially coming out of the COVID climate, where we are seeing many individuals struggle to find their place again after having limited social interaction for years. If there’s one thing that we should take from Perth & Kinross Mental Health & Wellbeing Festival, it is that you are not alone, even when you feel that you have nobody there. There are hundreds of people waiting to help and support. Though asking can be hard, suffering in silence is undoubtedly harder.
If you or someone you know is struggling, please call The Samaritans on 116 123, or text SHOUT to 85258.
Suicide Cultures is a Wellcome Trust funded research programme which aims to explore how suicide is experienced and what suicide means to diverse communities across Scotland and its Islands. The project is interested in the way in which social contexts affect how suicide is understood and how it is practised, and the role of culture in shaping the meanings suicide has & its impact on different communities across Scotland.
They are looking to include a range of different perspectives from people who have experienced/are experiencing suicide in their lives. Especially people who have been bereaved by suicide, and people who work with those who have experienced/are experiencing suicide.
For more information visit: www.ed.ac.uk/suicide-cultures, or contact Sarah Huque at shuque@ed.ac.uk, or on 07810 721108.
During her time with Perth Life Sophie oversaw and delivered a huge amount of work. From being the Deputy Editor of the physical What's On Magazines, to working with bands, creatives and wellness organisations across Perth and Scotland. Sophie was able to capture, record and share some of Perth's most memorable moments.
