Blog. World Mental Health Day - money and mental health

Money and mental health. A five minute read.

Today, on World Mental Health Day, we want to shine a light on the relationship between money and mental health. The two topics are too often still taboo in our society and when both are in short supply, people’s lives can fall apart very quickly.

But in the end, poverty tends to win.

Not being able to provide for your children is guilt inducing. And relentless nagging guilt, with no light at the end of the tunnel gnaws away at a person’s self-esteem. Throw being cold and hungry into the mix, and it doesn’t take much to send people over the edge. One unexpected bill, such as the car failing its MOT, a sudden rise in the cost of food or fuel, even a lost PE kit, – there’s one event that breaks the fragile thread holding people together and they fall apart. Resources and resilience completely and utterly spent.

We’ve tried to capture this gnawing sense of impending crisis in our latest film, to highlight the pressure people are under and to demonstrate their strength and resilience.

Rochelle’s story has been anonymised, but is taken from recent case notes, and it shows how a series of minor mishaps conspire to send a person over the edge. We made it to highlight what life is like for those we support.

It’s important to say that people like Rochelle are amazing, in most cases people have successfully coped with very little for a very long time. Often on their own, they have worked tirelessly to provide for their families and to give their children as much as they possibly could. The vast majority of the people we support haven’t suddenly been thrown into poverty, they’ve fought to keep it at bay for years – they’ve just finally run out of resources and very often the mental energy to keep going on their own.

What we’re doing.

One of the most important things we do is show compassion, empathy and respect to people who’ve already done all they can. By recognising the challenges that have already been overcome we give people hope and reassurance. Our financial grants, combined with the support offered from our amazing team, gives people some financial breathing space and includes signposting to additional resources to bolster their resilience to get through the months ahead.

Our signposting includes recommending that people check they are getting all the benefits they are entitled to; we might also suggest they contact a local authority’s welfare fund or a  hardship scheme provided by a utility company; it might be appropriate to suggest they access help and advice from a debt management organisation including our partner, Payplan; or it could be an onward referral to other charities and advocacy organisations. Of course, we’re also constantly reviewing the impact of our grants and advisory services to try and target help as effectively as we can.

Judging by the emails we receive almost every day, our approach is helping people during these difficult times: -

Giving the best advice.

We’re in the process of rolling out our updated advice pages. They contain the latest guidance on what help is available and addresses the practical steps people can take to regain control of their finances. The website also contains advice on how to recognise some of the other issues beneficiaries are experiencing such as poor mental health, anxiety, stress, addiction and relationship pressure. All these issues can be felt even more acutely when money is tight and negative coping patterns can take hold.

Money and Mental Health Webinar.

We’re also introducing a new online training webinar, to help employers tackle these taboos and equip their teams with strategies to manage ongoing financial challenges that are also damaging so many people’s mental health. The Money and Mental Health Webinar is a cost-effective way for employers to support their teams.

What you can do.

Talk to us. Our helpline is free, confidential, and never closes. No matter what’s worrying you, we’re always at the end of the phone. Share the number with your teams, post it on social media and give it to anybody who you’re worried about 0808 802 0282.

Donate. We don’t receive any government funding, every penny spent on grants is down to your generosity. Quite simply, the more you’re able to donate, the more we’re able to help.

Subscribe to our EAP. Our Employee Assistance Programme is designed specifically for our industry. It provides unrivalled wrap-around care to your staff for a low monthly fee. Your staff and their managers enjoy rapid access to counsellors and a whole host of professionals from law to relationships and finance.

Sign up your organisation to deliver our Money and Mental Health Webinar and appoint a Mental Health First Aider (MHFA), you can find more details about our MHFA training here.

Sell Invisible Chips or make us charity of the year. By adding Invisible Chips to your menu, you’ll be encouraging your customers to support our cause and raising awareness of our charity amongst your team. Making us charity of the year takes things even further – we’ll work with you to put employee wellness and support at the heart of your business. Drop us a line to find out more.

Whatever the future holds our whole team is focused on helping our industry in any way we can.

We’ve got you.