Leicester's Care, Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2022-2027
Theme 2: Healthy Minds
Ambition: To promote positive mental health within Leicester across the course of life
Good mental health and wellbeing is vital for quality of life and life expectancy. Many people in Leicester experience mental health problems which can contribute to problems loneliness, isolation, and poor physical health. Adverse life experiences such as relationship problems, debt, or bereavement can contribute to poor mental health.
Our mental wellbeing is shaped by childhood experiences. Learning to cope with problems from an early age can prevent mental health problems in later life. It is important to ensure children have emotional support at home and school.
People with poor mental health report the stigma they face from others can exacerbate their problems. In Leicester, we need to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination and work to ensure that mental health is viewed with the same importance as physical health.
Suicide is sometimes linked to poor mental health. It is for us to acknowledge and prevent suicide whenever possible. Deaths by suicide can trigger complex emotions in people who have been bereaved.
Offering timely support to those who have been affected is key to our approach
Mental health services in Leicester are widely used. Sometimes people have difficulty accessing timely treatment. Our aim is to ensure wider approaches can be used to support the resilience of people in need.
Key issues affecting mental health in Leicester with examples of what we are doing to improve people’s opportunities to live a healthy life
Preventing deaths by suicide
Around 30 people die by suicide in Leicester each year. Suicide can be influenced by a complex mix of adverse life experiences, such as relationship breakdown, bereavement, debt, or unemployment.
We are working to prevent death by suicide and supporting people affected by suicide with our Start a Conversation: Suicide is Preventable campaign which focuses on how small actions can save lives.
Mental health of children and young people
One in ten children report having a mental health problem; many more say they feel stressed or overwhelmed.
Promoting resilience to the stresses of daily life is key to improving children’s mental health, as well as having more honest conversations about mental health and wellbeing, free of stigma.
We are supporting the mental health of children and young people in the city by providing emotional resilience training in Leicester.
Engagement with the local environment
People experiencing poor mental health are less satisfied with their local area and the green space in the city. This impacts on social isolation and happiness.
We are encouraging people to use our parks, open spaces, leisure centres and waterways, and supporting their mental wellbeing by promoting outdoor gyms and encouraging walking and cycling.
We are encouraging a wider awareness of mental health by encouraging people to speak out about their experiences of mental health problems.