“People who live with long-term physical conditions are twice as likely to have poor mental health as those who do not. For people with multiple long-term conditions the chances of having poor mental health are greater still. Yet people with long-term physical conditions still face many barriers to accessing mental health support.
Ask How I Am, produced by Centre for Mental Health and National Voices, is based on interviews with people living with a wide range of long-term physical conditions, including diabetes, arthritis, cancer and heart disease, and looks at the part that the Covid-19 pandemic has played in adding yet more pressure to people’s mental health.
The report finds that people with long-term conditions have too few opportunities to ask for help with their mental health. Short appointments, over-stretched services and stigma all make it hard for people to say they are struggling.”
As a result of this report, National Voices and Centre for Mental Health have launched a campaign, #AskHowIAm, calling for a greater focus on compassionate care for people with long-term conditions and have brought together some top tips for practitioners on what this can look like. Use the link below to find these tips and more information.
https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications/ask-how-i-am
