Modern life gets more complex
REPORTS of mental health issues more than doubled last year among those seeking support from Citizens Advice Guernsey.
The numbers of people using the charity’s services who described themselves as having mental health problems, low mental health, struggling mentally, feeling vulnerable or not in a good place, increased from 13% to 29% between 2020 and 2021.
Most of those cases were related to money, relationship or family problems.
Given that everyone going to Citizens Advice has another issue to deal with, the figures could reflect a larger problem. ‘People’s lives are more complicated now and there is more pressure on everyone,’ it said.
In Mental Health Awareness Week, and at times when fears of a mental health ‘epidemic’ are being raised, it seems an appropriate time for David Gedze to be returning to the island, to check on progress made against the recommendations of his 2018 report into secondary care mental health services in the island.
With the mental health support charity Mind listing more than 40 voluntary organisations all offering to help people who needs help of various kinds, outside of the health professionals and secondary care services, it seems we’ve never had more options to help those needing help with their mental health – but rarely, if ever, been in greater need of more support.