Looking after our Apprentices
Our focus for 2023 is to focus on apprentices in the industry. By nurturing our young people now, it will protect them in the future. Suicide rates are at the highest in young people with 8 suicides by apprentices in 2021-2022. If you work in our industry you're 2.7x more likely to attempt suicide than any other. That's why our mission is to train 35,000 apprentices in mental health.
Training
In 2023, we launched a brand new Learning Management System (LMS) to make mental health awareness training more accessible, meaning that we can reach more people via our online portal. We offer an exciting range of training programmes delivered by accredited trainers. The courses are available to anyone in our industry and provide training on mental health and wellbeing. You can find more information here.
Addiction
There are lots of different types of addiction and addiction can happen to any individual, but some are more likely to get addicted to something than others. An addiction can have a serious impact on your life, including work, relationships, and money. In some cases, where the addiction is related to substance misuse, it can have a devastating effect psychologically and physically. Any addiction, especially alcohol or substance misuse is often used as a way of coping with difficult issues. This can then spiral into stress, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. In our industry in 2021 - 2022, we saw a 38% increase in gambling addiction and mental health, with powdered cocaine remaining as the number one drug of choice. By raising awareness of addiction and providing support to those who need help, we can continue to better lives and save lives.
Suicide
The reasons why someone is suicidal or has suicidal thoughts are complex and personal. It's often a combination of factors related to their feelings or thoughts or perhaps a triggering event. If someone feels suicidal, it's likely that they will feel like there's no other way out, they'll feel helpless and hopeless, disconnected, alone, and as though they are a burden to others around them. If you think that someone may be feeling suicidal, encourage them to talk about how they are feeling. You may feel uncomfortable talking about suicidal feelings and you may not know what to say, this is entirely normal and understandable. There may be some indications that someone is feeling suicidal, it may be that their appearance has become disheveled, their finances may have changed or they may be withdrawn.
According to the Mental Health Foundation, there is evidence that shows that if you ask someone if they're suicidal, it can protect them and allow them to open up and not feel as though they are a burden to you. Don't be afraid to ask someone more than once and if they do tell you that they're having suicidal thoughts, then it's so important to always take them seriously. Remember, support is there for you as well, and you should try to encourage the person to speak to a professional.
With suicide rates increasing in our industry, it's vital that we raise awareness of mental health to try and saved more lives.
Mental Health
In recent years, we've experienced a global pandemic, economic downturns, a cost of living crisis, and a change to the way that most people are now working, and as a result, life can feel overwhelming. For many of us, work is a significant part of our lives and where we spend the majority of our time. Poor mental health can cause long-term absence for an individual from work and this can then cause a spiraling effect, that's why it's so important for employers to ensure that their employees are supported and should promote good mental health.
Everyone has good and bad days, and having good mental health doesn’t mean that you’re always happy. At the same time, poor mental health doesn’t always mean you’re permanently unhappy, rather, you find it harder to cope well with normal day-to-day stresses and challenges. Someone’s mental health can affect them in varying ways and move up and down the scale at different periods of time. It's just as important to look after your mental health as it is your physical health.
Poor mental health can lead to a number of anciety disorders. Mental symptoms of this, might include racing thoughts, uncontrollable overthinking, trouble sleeping, dissociation, feeling dread or panic, and physical symptoms might include a racing heartbeat, shaking, sweating, heavy or fast breathing, dizziness, or sickness, amongst others. There are lots of different types of anxiety disorders and these disorders can significantly affect how a person feels, thinks, behaves, and interacts with others. There are lots of solutions for anxiety disoders and poor mental health can be treated differently, and speaking to your GP is an important place to start.
