Charity issues plea to halt mental health decline in Suffolk during lockdown
Suffolk Mind says the number of people at risk of stress and mental ill health has more than doubled since before the pandemic
Residents across Suffolk are being asked to help halt the decline in mental health during lockdown by connecting with people they haven't spoke to for a while.
Suffolk Mind is suggesting people pick up a pen and write letters, have conversations over the phone, or even shout to neighbours over garden fences.
The charity has also launched a PenPals scheme and is inviting people to write to them for a volunteer to respond.
It's as data shows 55% of people in the county, on average, are not meeting their emotional needs according to Suffolk Mind.
Chief Executive of the charity, Jon Neal, said: "We look at mental health through the emotional needs we all have that must be met to stay well. The biggest fall has been in feeling part of a wider community – this fell in the first lockdown, but has continued to fall.
"This may seem obvious, with people unable to see anyone else, but it’s the rate of decline that’s concerning us most. And with little certainty as to when the current lockdown will end, it means wellbeing is unlikely to recover for some time.
"Around two thirds of us now say we do not feel part of a wider community. An increasing number of us don’t feel that we have meaning and purpose in our lives, and more of us are feeling like we have no control, we’re not making choices for ourselves."
Suffolk Mind is also providing virtual training courses to the public with information on how people can meet emotional needs, and have updated resources available on its website.
Neal continued: "The one thing all of us can do is connect with another human being in a meaningful way. Write a letter, make a telephone call, have a conversation over a fence at a big distance. Do something to connect with people. You might not think you need it, but you probably do. And even if you don’t, there are plenty of people out there do.
"This should be our equivalent of clapping on a Thursday night to respect key workers. The need now is to connect with each other so we all feel part of a community again. We’ve got lots of resources on our website to inspire you with writing suggestions, toolkits and advice. And if you can’t think of someone to write to, write to us and we’ll write back."