Infographic: Your voting rights at elections. 1. Having a mental illness does not mean you lose the right to vote. 2. You can vote even if you're in a mental health hospital at the time of an election (except when detained for a criminal offence). 3. Everyone now needs to bring photo ID with them to vote at a polling station. 4. You have the option of a postal vote or a proxy vote, if you can’t or don’t want to vote in person. If you work with people with mental health difficulties, you can help them exercise their voting rights by: Supporting people to register and get voter ID; Sharing information about postal or proxy voting options; Finding practical ways to ease anxieties and overcome other barriers to voting. Find more information on exercising your voting rights: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/your-voting-rights/

Having a mental illness does not mean you lose the right to vote. The deadline to register to vote for the 7 May elections is midnight tonight and next Monday 28 for proxy votes. 👇
Our resource for people living with a mental illlness & professionals www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/your-voting-...

Webinar: Trauma‑informed care and racialised communities - Centre for Mental Health Join Centre for Mental Health and the NHS Race and Health Observatory for a webinar marking the launch of our new report, Trauma‑informed care and racialised communities.

Thanks for covering this @careif.org. Our webinar exploring this report is coming up on Thursday - www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/webinar-trau...

Photo of a lush garden with a pond in the foreground and garden chairs in the background. Text: quote from Andy Bell: Sydenham Garden is a restorative space. An equitable space. A compassionate space. A brave space. Spaces like this are invaluable, but they are easily taken for granted and lost.

Contact with nature, physical activity, creativity, and social connection – a combination for better mental health. Read @andybell-centremh.bsky.social's blog about the value of community gardens, and why we need to do better at sustaining them: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/sydenham-gar...

2/2: If this strategy is to meaningfully address their experiences, it requires a genuine commitment to trauma-informed and intersectional care throughout life. It is important that Government prioritises delivery and investment. Full response from @andybell-centremh.bsky.social at bit.ly/4tgSmms

1/2: We welcome the renewal of the Women's Health Strategy...it acknowledges that mental health can and does affect women differently. The recognition that younger women, Black and Asian women, older women and women living in poverty experience different health outcomes is important.

Graphic representing illustrated figures on a basketball court. Quote text reads: "It's the one place where i don't feel judged for being anxious." - Young person supported by Active Essex Foundation's Sport and Youth Mental Health Project.

Graphic with two figures with red boxing gloves beside a black punching bag. Quote text reads: "I was getting in trouble at school and got offered to do boxing... now I go there two other days to learn more and be more focussed." - Young person supported by Active Essex Foundation's Sport and Youth Mental Health Project.

2/2 Young people gain confidence, feel listened to & have better wellbeing. Beyond impacts on individuals, the evaluation highlights positive effects across families, schools, and communities. The AEF project is delivered by VCSE community partners across Essex & funded by @tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

Infographic with three illustrated icons of figures. Two are boxing, two are in conversation with speech bubbles, and two are on a green field with a football. Text reads: "Combining physical activity and mental health support can improve children and young people's confidence, emotional regulation, social connection, school engagement and overall wellbeing. These benefits also positively influence families, schools and communities".

1/2: Combining sport and physical activity with mental health support can be a powerful combination for protecting children and young people's mental health, our interim evaluation of the Active Essex Foundation's Sport and Youth Mental Health Project finds. bit.ly/4cpXnlu

Text graphic which reads: Racism causes trauma and mental ill health. Our new research explores the nature of trauma experienced by people from racialised communities and calls for better support from mental health

Join us with Coffee Afrik and NHS RHO on 23 April to explore our new report: Trauma-informed care and racialised communities. The event will be co-chaired by Dame Marie Gabriel and Professor JS Bamrah. Find out more and register👇
www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/webinar-trau...

More than a fifth of UK’s ‘austerity children’ scarred by poverty, study says Researchers say hardship is a direct legacy of welfare benefit cuts imposed by Tory governments in recent years

Poverty is a major driver of worsening mental health for children and young people. New study from @ox.ac.uk provides evidence of the impact of austerity and benefit policy on children's long-term exposure to poverty 👇 www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

A close up photo of two people in an office looking intently. Text: Join our research team!

We're recruiting! Want your research to actually change things? We’re looking for a researcher who can deliver high-quality applied research, delivering programme evaluations and studies that improve mental health services and outcomes. Find out more: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/vacancy/rese...

People arriving at emergency departments in mental health crisis deserve safe, legal, consistent care. Right now, they're not always getting it. New report from @hssib.bsky.social highlights want needs to change 👇

Illustration of two children playing football in the park. Text: Investing in childhood is worth every penny.

Following years of pressure and campaigning, the two-child benefit cap has finally been lifted. Ending child poverty could help to turn around the rising prevalence of mental ill health among young people across the country, and this is one very welcome step towards that aim

Text: Need to speak to someone over the holidays? These helplines are available to contact. Adults’ mental health helplines. Samaritans contact number: 116 123 | Open 24/7 NHS non-emergency number: 111 | Open 24/7 CALM helpline: 0800 58 58 58 Open 5pm - midnight daily Shout: text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 | Open 24/7 SANE helpline: 0300 304 7000 Open 4pm-10pm daily.

Need to speak to someone over the holidays? These helplines are available to contact. Children & young people’s mental health helplines. Papyrus helpline for under 35s: 0800 068 4141 | Open 24/7 Childline contact number: 0800 1111 | Open 24/7 (Calls may be limited to 15 mins midnight - 7:30am) Shout text service: Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 | Open 24/7

We're taking a break from social media over the Easter bank holiday. If you need to talk to someone over the holiday, or at any time, please reach out for help to one of these services. You can find more information and sources of help here: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/helplines-an...

The Samaritans are available 24 hours a day on 116 123 (free to call from within the UK and Ireland) to provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts. Find more helplines here www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/helplines-an...

“Ever Trying”. Mental health and suicide prevention services in Sweden - Centre for Mental Health Dr Chris Hanvey explores what the UK can learn from Sweden's national strategy for mental health and suicide prevention, from psychiatric ambulances to specialist helplines.

Sweden went from having the world's highest suicide rate in the 1960s to 57th globally. What changed? A national cross-party strategy, psychiatric ambulances, specialist helplines, and early intervention in schools. Read Dr Chris Hanvey's blog: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/ever-trying-...

Quote from blog by Jay: "I don’t have the privilege of safety and stability that cisgender people have. I hate hiding from myself all the time. There’s things I probably would like to explore further in my gender identity, but so much of my time and energy is spent trying to blend in for my safety. I’m scared I’ll always be living a half-life. That’s not good for anyone’s mental health."

Today is Trans Day of Visibility - take a look back at this blog by Jay, which highlights how transphobia impacts their (in)visibility and sense of safety as a trans person navigating mental health services: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/in-flux-betw...
#TDOV #TransDayOfVisibility

The Family Footsteps survey takes between 5 and 20 minutes to complete. It’s open to all parents living in the UK. Upon completing the survey, you can enter a cash draw to win a £50 or £100 shopping voucher.

⏰Closes 1 April 2026

With @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social we're exploring how to improve mental health research for parents & families.

Complete this survey to share your thoughts on the issues that matter most for families and prioritise topics for new research:
qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

Text: quote from Fleur Boya: "Mental health reform cannot succeed while ignoring the intersecting realities of racism and gender-based violence. If the Government is serious about tackling VAWG and addressing racial inequality in mental health care, then specialist by-and-for services must be recognised, funded and embedded. Without them, reform risks being little more than rhetoric."

This week we joined Imkaan's campaign calling for specialist frontline violence against women and girls (VAWG) services led ‘by and for’ Black and minoritised women to be funded and commissioned. In guest blog, Fleur Boya explains the background www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/a-troubling-...

Future Minds: A roadmap to transform children and young people’s mental health by 2035 - Centre for Mental Health The Future Minds roadmap puts forward concrete solutions to transform children and young people’s mental health.

We need decisive, cross government action & a shift towards prevention, early intervention and community-based support. The Future Minds roadmap outlines solutions, including ensuring early support hubs are available in every community and scaling up models like IPS(Y) 👇
bit.ly/4rbJjBt

Health Equals | Young people in the poorest households three times more likely to be out of work or education New analysis reveals young people from the UK’s poorest households are over three times more likely to not be earning or learning.

New @healthequals.bsky.social and @lukemunford.bsky.social analysis of @usociety.bsky.social data shows proportion of young people not earning or learning with a likely mental health condition doubles: healthequals.org.uk/data_insight...

A workforce for mental health in later life - Centre for Mental Health Andy draws on a recent roundtable to make the case for a stronger, more specialist workforce to meet the mental health needs of older people.

The lack of support for mental health in later life is often hidden. @andybell-centremh.bsky.social summarises what we learnt at our recent roundtable exploring the workforce we need to offer the right support. Dr Lucia Franco also shares her insight: www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/a-workforce-...

Young women's mental health cannot wait. Targeted, trauma-informed support is urgently needed.

Join us with Pilgrim Trust this Thursday at a webinar on improving mental health support for young women. @andybell-centremh.bsky.social and our researcher Adetola Obateru will be sharing lessons and recommendations from our evaluation of Young Women in Mind: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting...

New tool predicts physical health risks in young people with psychosis | Equally Well Equally Well UK are working with McPin Foundation in supporting lived experience involvement in developing PsyMetRiC, one of the first risk prediction tools specifically for psychosis in young people ...

🧵3/3 PsyMetRiC was developed by Equally Well UK and @mcpinfoundation, with key input from young people with lived experience. It will equip clinicians with the evidence they need to act early, and give young people a genuine say in their own care. Read more: equallywell.co.uk/2026/03/12/n...

🧵2/3 Young people with psychosis face much higher risks of serious physical health conditions, yet existing tools weren't designed for them. PsyMetRiC changes that - giving healthcare professionals the information they need to start earlier, better conversations about prevention and care...

A new digital tool has been launched that predicts physical health risks in young people with psychosis years before they'd typically be detected. It’s called PsyMetRiC and it's the first psychiatry software medical device to be certified by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 🧵1/3

Quote: "An attack on one racialised person is felt by every racialised person.” Taken from: SHIFTING POWER

The role of population-level, anti-racist interventions in addressing inequities in mental health.

Turning around racial inequalities in mental health requires concerted action to address their causes at every level of government, and a shift in power to put communities in the lead. Services need to adopt anti-racist, trauma-informed approaches and embrace system change. tinyurl.com/2wj9wd8z

Text graphic: To prevent mental health problems, services need to adopt anti-racist approaches. Public health must embrace system change, not just individual level interventions. Illustration: two people in conversation.

Text graphic: Community organisations are critical to preventing mental ill health. We need to shift power to communities. Illustration: People sat around a table having a cup of tea.

2/3: Structural racism influences the key factors that shape our health including work, housing and access to green space. Our new report, Shifting power, says action must move beyond individual clinical care towards prevention. www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/publications...

A line of illustrations showing people at different stages of life, from childhood, through education, onto work and adulthood. Text reads: Racism is a daily stress harming mental health at every stage of life. Racism is built into systems and institutions that shape daily life and influences the key factors that shape our health.

Quote: "Racism shows up in every part of the system… it creates poor mental health, blocks access, delays discharge and undermines recovery.” Taken from: SHIFTING POWER The role of population-level, anti-racist interventions in addressing inequities in mental health.

1/3: Racism can harm mental health at every stage of life. It is built into systems and institutions and in the current hostile political climate, these pressures are intensifying, and the harm to racialised communities is growing.

Text: Webinar 26 March. Empowering minds: transforming young women's mental health. Learning from the Pilgrim Trust's Young Women in Mind programme.

We're delighted to be joining Pilgrim Trust on March 26 for a webinar on improving mental health support for young women, sharing key findings and recommendations from our independent evaluation of their Young Women in Mind programme. Sign up here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/supporting...