Every Mind Matters is a campaign run by NHS England, which features the mental health tool My Mind Plan at the heart of their resources and advice for those facing mental health problems.
The aim of Every Mind Matters is to give people the skills and confidence to support our own and each other’s mental health and suggest what we should do if we have mental health problems.
How does Every Mind Matters improve public mental health?
At the heart of the campaign is the My Mind Plan tool.
The My Mind Plan quiz asks people a few simple questions about their mental health priorities and any specific concerns they currently have. It then suggests an action plan based on these needs, which people can tailor to fit in with their lives. All the actions suggested have been drawn from evidence for self-help and reviewed by a range of experts so that they can be safely attempted by anyone at little to no cost.
In addition, Every Mind Matters has a good range of how-to guides and advice on when to seek help if your mental health deteriorates. There is also advice on supporting others and what you might expect if you need to access mental health services.
How is the Mental Health Foundation involved?
Dr Crepaz-Keay, now the Head of Applied Learning at the Mental Health Foundation, was seconded to the Every Mind Matters campaign as a senior mental health advisor and co-developed the My Mind Plan tool. The Foundation also supported the development and roll-out of the campaign as an active member of the content delivery group, which brought together the country’s leading experts in public mental health campaigns.
How can you assist the Every Mind Matters campaign?
The best way to get involved is to use the My Mind Plan tool to create your action plan and see its effect on your mental health. You can then speak to your friends and family about how your Mind Plan worked for you and recommend the tool to anyone in your life facing mental health problems. Other work at the Foundation work has shown that working together makes things easier, more fun and even more effective, so some like to fill in the My Mind Plan quiz with their friends.
More information
If you have a question or query, please email Dr David Crepaz-Keay at [email protected] .
Every Mind Matters
Every Mind Matters is an evidence-based tool that shows people how to build simple changes into their daily lives – such as reframing unhelpful thoughts, breathing exercises and increasing physical activity.