Christina Rees, MP for Neath, is encouraging constituents to look after their mental health and seek out support if they need it during the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to the independent charity The Health Foundation, 69% of adults in the UK report are feeling somewhat or very worried about the effect Covid-19 is having on their life. The most common issues affecting wellbeing are: worry about the future (63%), feeling stressed or anxious (56%) and feeling bored (49%).
Added to this research are findings from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which found that mental health has worsened substantially (by 8.1% on average) as a result of the pandemic. Young adults and women have been hit the hardest according to research.
There are many charities and NHS-led bodies providing mental health support to constituents including Mind Neath Port Talbot and Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Christina Rees, MP for Neath, said:
“The pandemic has been hard on all of us. We have all been under a tremendous amount pressure in trying to do what is best for our family and friends. We can now see the light at the end of the tunnel and that makes it all the more important to look out for our mental wellbeing.
“We are extremely lucky in our community to have so many excellent organisations ready to support us. We have the Cwm-Ni lach project, which is by Dove Workshop, offering mental health support within the community plus Mind Neath Port Talbot and Neath Port Talbot’s Hafal providing a modern approach to deal with mental health.
“It’s important that we talk about mental health and wellbeing more openly to remove the stigma wrongly attached to it. I hope this pandemic has taught us the importance of looking out for one another. The smallest act of kindness can have the biggest impact on someone’s mental health.”