Every Mind Matters - campaign to help people think about mental health

The campaign Every Mind Matters is encouraging everyone to look after their mental health in the same way they would their physical health. Healthwatch Bristol supports mental health and wellbeing awareness campaigns like this after carrying out a year-long project on how mental health services are working in Bristol.

A survey carried out by PHE shows 84 per cent of people in the South West have experienced early signs of poor mental health including anxiety, stress, low mood or trouble sleeping in the past 12 months.

Cllr Mike Bell, executive member with responsibility for health in North Somerset, said: "Mental health problems affect around one in four people in any given year - statistically that's around 36,000 people in North Somerset alone.

"It's really important we all do what we can to remove the stigma that still exists around mental health and recognise that it's ok not to be ok.

"This new national Every Mind Matters campaign is an opportunity for us all to be more aware of our mental health and think about things we can do to look after ourselves and stop problems getting any worse - just as we do with our physical health."

To coincide with the campaign, North Somerset libraries will promote Reading Well - a collection of titles to help people manage their health and wellbeing.

A film, featuring celebrities affected by mental health, has been written by Richard Curtis is being used to promote Every Mind Matters narrated by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and The Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Read more on the NHS website here. https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/