There is still a widespread stigma attached to mental health issues in our society. For clergy and their households, the additional factors mentioned above can lead to issues being hidden or even ignored.
The Northern Ireland Public Health Agency has published a new resource, the Flourish! Self-Care Toolkit, aimed at helping clergy to look after their mental health. It includes a wealth of resources and is particularly helpful as it has been designed specifically for clergy.
The NHS has a number of helpful information for patients and families, ranging from information about medication to a handbook for carers.
There are a number of helplines and websites:
- The Sussex Mental Healthline - 0300 5000 101. Provides support and information for anyone experiencing mental health problems and their carers. Available Monday to Friday 5pm to 9am, and 24 hours at weekends and Bank Holidays. They welcome Text Relay calls and New Generation Text calls from hearing and speech impaired callers.
- Sane Line โ 0845 767 8000
- Mind
- Mental Health Foundation
- Young Minds: for young people with mental health issues visit
In an emergency:
- If you are concerned about an immediate risk of harm - either to yourself or someone else - then phone 999.
- Go to your nearest hospital with an Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department. In some hospitals, this will be called the Emergency Department. There are staff on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, who will be able to assess you and give you the appropriate help.
- Samaritans โ 08457 90 90 90. Provides help and support to people in a crisis 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- The Stay Alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource, full of information which we hope will help you stay safe. You might find it useful if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide. The app includes a safety plan, customisable reasons for living and a life box where you can store photos that are important to you. You can download it for free on Android and iOS. It has been produced with Grassroots Suicide Prevention, a charity that supports communities to prevent suicide