We at Mental Healthy seek to provide our readers with the most up-to-date mental health resources, news and information, but also it is our firm belief that we should encourage our readers to seek further support beyond that which we can give.
Mental health charities offer different types of help, each specialising in a particular area. Whilst we always encourage people to get individual medical help by firstly seeing their GP, we can also suggest accessing additional support through the following established charities.
Our reporter Jessica Brown gives us a run down of the leading charities for mental health in the UK:
Mental health charities UK
There are many mental health charities in the UK that can help support you both in a crisis and over the long term. They all help to promote mental wellbeing, tackle stigma and improve services and treatment for those with mental health problems – as well as offering the chance for you to get involved.
There are many mental health charities that offer help, support, information and services for a wide range of disorders, but there are also charities that are targeted specifically on one – such as depression or anxiety. Below is a breakdown of mental health charities and what they offer.
SANE
SANE was established in 1986 and is one of the UK’s leading mental health charities. It aims to raise public awareness of mental health, improve treatment, campaign for change, combat stigma, and stimulate neuroscience and treatment-related research.
SANE offers a helpline and email service, as well as an online support forum – with the help of a 130-strong team of rigorously-trained volunteers. www.sane.org.uk
Mental Health Foundation
MHF is the UK’s leading mental health research, policy and service-improvement charity. It carries out and publishes research, develops practical solutions to improving mental health services, campaigns to reduce stigma and promote better mental health across the country. MHF provides ground-breaking research and is at the forefront of the mental health sector. It is the ‘charity for everyone’s mental wellbeing’. www.mentalhealth.org.uk
Centre for Mental Health
CFMH works to create equality across all society for those with mental health problems. The charity has a particular focus on employment and mental health in the workplace, criminal justice and recovery and children.
The Centre for Mental health also supports work on more broad mental health and public policy.
Mind
Mind is a leading mental health charity for England and Wales, working to promote understanding of mental health, improve services and provide support to those with mental health problems. Mind supports almost 250,000 people every year through a network of 160 local Minds.
Mind offers an Info line, offering confidential help over the phone. It also runs a Legal Advice Service, providing individuals with information on law relating to mental health. Mind also campaigns on a range of national issues affecting those with mental health problems, such as employment and legal rights. www.mind.org.uk
Young Minds
Young Minds is the leading mental health charity for children and young people, whose voices are central to the work they carry out – which includes lobbying, influencing, and providing training and development to professionals, parents and young people. It provides support to young people for a range of mental health problems.
Young Minds is at the heart of national discourse on mental health issues, and plays a central part in the influence and pressure put on the Government to improve and sustain the mental health services in the UK. The Young Minds website also has a regularly-updated blog, including personal stories from young people with mental health problems. www.youngminds.org.uk
Together
Formed in 1879, Together is one of the longest-standing mental health charities. It offers a range of practical and personal services to those suffering with mental health problems – including one-to-one support and supported accommodation.
Together currently works with 4,000 adults every month and is involved with 80 projects throughout England. It provides community support Resource Centres across the country, home-based community support and much more. www.together-uk.org
Anxiety UK
Since 1970, Anxiety UK has been the UK’s leading anxiety disorders charity. Based in Manchester, the charity offers relief and rehabilitation to sufferers of anxiety disorders, whilst also promoting the awareness of anxiety and improving the services for those with anxiety.
Anxiety UK supports anyone suffering with a wide range of anxiety disorders, including Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Social Phobia and Agoraphobia. www.anxietyuk.org.uk
Rethink
Rethink Mental Illness supports almost 60,000 people each year across the UK to get through mental health-related crises and to live independently. It is the largest national voluntary sector provider of mental health services, with over 150 support groups and around 250 services. Rethink works closely with government policies that affect those with mental health problems, including campaigning for policy change. www.rethink.org
Turn2me
Turn2me’s website provides interactive support, where users can listen to podcasts, discuss problems in forums and join online group support. Its aim is to connect people and promote mental wellbeing through technology. Turn2me’s services are available every hour, every day and are completely anonymous. www.turn2me.org
SAMH
The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) is Scotland's leading mental health charity. It offers community-based services for people with mental health problems, and is involved in campaigning and influencing policy.
SAMH provides to support for those suffering with a range of issues that those with mental health problems can encounter – such as addiction, suicide, mental health law, employment and criminal justice. www.samh.org.uk
Depression Alliance
Depression Alliance is the UK’s leading charity for people with depression. It provides information and support whilst advocating the importance of early intervention. It believes that stigma and lack of information need to improve, and aim to do this through publications, supporter services and its network of self-help groups.
Depression Alliance works closely with the government and healthcare professionals to improve the services and treatment for those with depression. It also campaigns to raise awareness of depression amongst the general public, through organising events and initiatives (including Depression Awareness Week). www.depressionalliance.org
BEAT
Beat is the award-winning, leading UK charity of eating disorders, providing information and support to hose with a range of eating disorder. It aims to change the way we think and talk about eating disorders, improve services and treatment and help instil the belief that eating disorders can be beaten.
Beat campaigns for better services for those with eating disorders and provides sufferers with information, support and encouragement to seek treatment. www.b-eat.co.uk
Bipolar UK
Bipolar UK is the national charity supporting those with bipolar disorder and their families and carers. It offers a range of services, including a mentoring scheme and self-help groups. The charity works with research organisations and campaigns for the issues surrounding bipolar.
The Bipolar UK website also offers an eCommunity, where people can join in discussions and receive support. www.bipolaruk.org.uk
International:
BasicNeeds
BasicNeeds is an international development charity, working to improve the lives of those with mental health problems around the world. Established in 1999 and with 88 full-time staff, BasicNeeds helps people get access to treatment and to start to earn a living, as well as working with communities to eliminate stigma.
Its work also covers sufferers of epilepsy, as in some lesser-developed countries, sufferers of epilepsy are taken to psychiatric services and face similar discrimination to those suffering with mental health problems. BasicNeeds is currently working in India, Ghana, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya and Laos PDR, Vietnam and Nepal. basicneeds.org
If you would like to suggest any charity we may have missed out, please leave leave a short description of the charity on our mental health blog.
