Clare, acting director of services, talks about the work that’s being done with the Portsmouth community to increase access to wellbeing support in Portsmouth...

A lot has been written about the state of the UK’s mental health and how it hasworsened due to the cost-of-living crisis.

Research commissioned by Mind earlier this year reveals exactly how big an impactthe cost-of-living crisis is having on people’s wellbeing in the UK.

Worryingly, eight in ten British adults say their mental health has been affected by the cost-of-living crisis, and almost a fifth say the cost-of-living crisis is decreasing how often they are able to make space to have conversation about mental health.

Locally, in Portsmouth, the number that we’re supporting with a mental health problem is increasing year-on-year. In 2021 to 2022, we supported 54,886 people -this is 20,000 more people than the previous 12-month period - and so far this year remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.

Our mission is to make sure anyone in our community experiencing a mental health issue has somewhere to turn to for advice, information and support.

This has perhaps been no more important than it is today, when added stress from external factors such as the rising cost-of-living is undoubtedly contributing to poorer mental health amongst people in our community and making it more difficult for them to manage their symptoms.

To respond to the needs of more people than ever before, our Portsmouth branch is offering a wider, simpler way for people to access its services in the city and get control of how they’re feeling.

From early intervention and wellbeing services, to peer support, and help getting into and staying in employment, there are now eight different types of services available to people living in Portsmouth who are experiencing a mental health issue.

What’s more, all services are now even easier to access thanks to changes to the self-referral process; people can now refer themselves online as well as over the phone and in person at our local wellbeing centre in the centre.

I’m incredibly proud of how much the breadth and depth of Solent Mind’s services has evolved in Portsmouth over the last few years, but there is much still to do, and we are determined to rise to the challenge.

To learn more about services in Portsmouth, visit solentmind.org.uk/portsmouth.