Mental Health Awareness
The Importance of Mental Health
Mental health is about how people think, feel and act as they face life’s situations. Our mental health affects how we handle stress, relate to one another and make decisions. Mental health influences the way we look at ourselves, our experiences and others who are in our lives. Just like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life.
All aspects of our lives are affected by our mental health, and protecting our children’s mental health is a natural part of our parental obligation. Caring for our children—emotionally as well as physically—is critical to their daily lives and their independence.
Everybody - adults, children and teenagers - can have mental health disorders that interfere with their lives. These conditions can affect the way they think, feel and act. When untreated, mental health disorders can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence or worse. Let's all do our part to build our awareness and understand these conditions, to recognise the signs and symptoms and take steps to improve our and our loved one's mental wellbeing.
- 1 in 6 people experienced a common mental health problem within the last week.
- 1 in 5 women are reported to have mental health problems.
- 1 in 8 men are reported to have mental health problems.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2022
Mental Health Awareness Week is happening across the UK now, between 9 to 15 May 2022. The official theme this year is ‘loneliness,' with everyone encouraged to build meaningful connections with friends, family, colleagues and communities and get together to thrive.
Loneliness affects many of us at one time or another. We know that loneliness can be both the driver for and a product of poor mental health.
- Because of our changing society - the pandemic has given rise to a sense of loneliness and isolation undermining confidence in daily routines. In recent times, many of us have had far less access to loved ones. Tech is enabling healthcare professionals to see more patients without the need to travel, but on the flip side of the coin, convenience and cost efficiencies are driving more and more activities online.
- Because of our changing workplaces - with many adapting to home and hybrid working, we need to embrace this change while building and maintaining meaningful connections with our colleagues.
By being there and connecting with each other, we can overcome loneliness together.
Dumfries and Galloway College encourages all to:
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Raise awareness - help people to understand the links between loneliness and poor mental health, and actively check in on those around you at work and in your communities.
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Invite conversations - Speak to each other and let the conversation flow.
What We're Doing To Support Mental Health
At Dumfries and Galloway College, mental health of our students and staff is a key focus area to ensure our student experience and working environment are the best they can possibly be. Find out about the successes of some of our initiatives below.
Student Mental Health Website
In November 2021, our Student Association launched a new online mental health website to help students understand mental health and self-care and also provides a series of links to organisations that can provide specialist support.
Find out more
Estranged Students Solidarity
In November 2021, we took part in Estranged Students Solidarity Week to raise awareness to our students who are in difficult situations and who have become estranged from family members or who do not have a support system.
Find out more
Using Business To Promote Mental Health
In April 2022, Dumfries and Galloway College Student Association Vice President, Danielle Hughes, won the Special Recognition Award at the Bridge 2 Business Enterprise Awards 2022 in recognition of the work she has done to develop and deliver enterprise-focussed workshops to her fellow students.
In her role as Vice President, Danielle has taken the lead in the Wellbeing Enterprise project, an initiative aimed at helping students develop their ideas to improve student mental and physical health in creative ways.
Find out more
Providing Staff With Support
Through our partners at Vivup, we've offered our staff support when they need it most. This includes access to 24/7 telephone support, face-to-face and virtual counselling, self-help workbooks, advice on debt and abuse, podcasts and blogs, and a mental health fitness app.
Learn about working for us
Mental Health Training
Since August 2021, we've been offering mental health training to help people build their awareness, skill and competence with mental health issues.
Our courses have helped a diverse group of more than 500 learners across Scotland, from those in work to those who're retired and those who're being rehabilitated in prison to build their capability.
View our courses
Make Mental Health Your Future
Build your future or retrain for a new career with our highly-popular mental health training courses.
Mental Health Awareness
This course will provide you with comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the various forms of mental distress, including stress, anxiety, phobias, depression, dementia and schizophrenia.
Study through open learning.
Understanding Children and Young People's Mental Health
This course aims to increase your knowledge and awareness of children's and young people’s mental health.
Study through open learning.
Certificate in Understanding Behaviour That Challenges
This course aims to give you an insight into behaviour that challenges and how to respond to situations in the most appropriate and supportive way.
Study through open learning.
Understanding Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Advocacy In The Workplace
This course will help you increase your knoweldge and understanding of mental ill-health and how to support people experiencing mental distress.
Study through open learning.
First Aid For Mental Health
This course is suitable for everyone but has been designed to help employers to provide a positive mental health culture within the workplace and to provide learners with comprehensive knowledge on a range of the most common mental health conditions
Study in Dumfries or Stranraer.
Supervising First Aid For Mental Health
This course builds on the Level 2/5 Award in First Aid for Mental Health and is suitable for supervisors or managers of staff in the workplace. It covers a wider range of mental health conditions and goes into detail on the range of therapy and professional support that a person may be given by professional bodies during treatment for a mental health condition.
Study in Dumfries or Stranraer.
Awareness Of Mental Health First Aid
This awareness course is suitable for everyone as it provides learners with the knowledge to recognise a suspected mental health condition and the skills to start a conversation and be able to signpost a person towards professional help.
Study in Dumfries or Stranraer.
Mental Health and Wellbeing @ SCQF Level 5
This course is for Senior Phase School Pupils. It will help provide you with an opportunity to develop skills and knowledge surrounding mental health. You will be encouraged to explore and understand issues around mental health and to develop positive coping strategies to address these issues.
Study in Dumfries.