Report Outlines the Importance of Mental Wellbeing

11 Sep 2019 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news

The critical role that mental wellbeing plays in shaping physical health is highlighted in the 2018 Director of Public Health Annual Report.

There is a very clear link between mental and physical health. While ensuring people have timely access to good quality services is important, the report outlines that investment in activities which improve and promote good mental health and wellbeing and that prevent people from experiencing mental ill health in the first place are vital. 

Elizabeth Morgan, Director of Public Health at Northumberland County Council, said: “In Northumberland our public health approach has a focus on the factors that support health and wellbeing as well as those that lead to illness.  This includes things like being plugged into networks and groups in communities and feeling in control of your life.

“There are a number of things we can do collectively to support good mental health, so my report looks at the bigger picture and examines mental health across the life course. There are many things we can do to prevent mental ill health and improve mental well being and we need to continue to work together to deliver them at scale and pace.”

Key recommendations in the report are:

• To make Northumberland a county which is more aware of the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences across the life course;
• Support all schools to adopt a whole-school approach to promoting mental health and wellbeing;
• Prioritise mental wellbeing in the workplace as part of the North East Better Health at Work Award;
• Grow initiatives which increase social connectedness;
• Make a cross sector commitment to prevention through the Prevention Concordat for Better Mental Health 

Northumberland County Councillor, Veronica Jones, cabinet member for adult wellbeing and health said: “Poor mental health is one of the biggest contributors to ill health and in some cases, early death.  

“We recognise good mental health and wellbeing is essential for good health. We have made significant progress in recent years to improve the health of our residents but have more work to do and we welcome the focus of this report, particularly as it is one of the cross-cutting themes in our new Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.”