March
A new study showed that population-level studies are useful when looking at the big picture of mental health, but more importantly, they can mask inequalities for vulnerable groups. The review examined 137 published studies that measured psychological distress before, during and after the COVID pandemic and confirmed that women saw a greater increase in depression symptoms than men.
April
This was the season of Stress Awareness Month and MQ covered the most stressful industries to work in, one of the most popular articles on our website in 2023, and how employers can help employees manage their stress levels .
Can
In 2023, the theme for Mental Health Awareness Week was “anxiety.” In response, MQ published articles exploring what anxiety is and what anxiety disorder is, as well as personal stories about what it feels like to have a panic attack, highlighting the prevalence of anxiety disorder experiences, as well as the importance of mental health in our lives. Post-pandemic political landscape.
The Coronation gave the UK a new king, the first in 70 years, and the opportunity to consider royal public figures who have been open about their mental health experiences or those who support mental health and charities.
In May this year, more details were published about what the UK government’s announcement in November 2022 of a new approach to health challenges meant for mental health research. This included £42.7 million for mental health research with funding spread across the UK and the Mental Health Mission was launched with the aim of accelerating research across the country.
The Labor Party announced a new suicide prevention policy. Keir Starmer spoke about Labour’s plan to build a future-proof NHS. The policies announced focused on reforming the NHS and set targets for three of the UK’s “biggest causes of death”: cancer, cardiovascular disease and suicide.
June
The Cost of Living Crisis Report was published. MQ and the University of Glasgow produced a set of recommendations to help the UK better respond to mental health issues arising from the current cost of living crisis. This year, MQ continued to post ideas on how to look after your mental health on a budget and also how to cope with the cost of living crisis.
Schools that implement punitive approaches to children’s behavior rather than addressing root causes harm children’s mental health, according to a new report released this month.
July
Mental health experts, charity bosses and people with “lived experience” called on the Government to reinstate the Ten Year Mental Health Strategy, with MQ at the forefront. On Thursday 20 July, MQ personally delivered a letter to 10 Downing Street. The letter, from 56 mental health leaders including academics, health professionals, charity bosses and lived experience experts, called on the UK Prime Minister to reverse the government’s decision to scrap the 10-year Mental Health Strategy that It was originally due to be published this year.
