A mental health and well-being initiative to support people throughout the Covid-19 crisis has been launched by the Health Minister today.
The new Together campaign is designed to offer support and resources to help deal with the stress, anxiety and isolation currently being experienced by many people across the country.
The online resource is available at gov.ie/together and will also promote the supports and resources available at the HSE’s YourMentalHealth.ie.
It will also provide tips and advice for people on topics such as physical activity, parenting, coping with daily routines, creative activities, supporting people who are cocooning, and getting involved in the community solidarity efforts under the Government’s Community Call.
Research which has been carried out on behalf of the Department of health has found the following:
- Isolation is likely to cause distress and mental health problems.
- The overall level of worry is being scored consistently at almost 7/10.
- Four out of five people are worried about their friends, family and almost as many are worried about the economy.
- One-third of people are worried/believe that they will contract the virus.
The research has also found that people are aware of the importance of maintaining resilience, and that people are remaining engaged with loved ones and hobbies.
67% of people are actively trying to keep in touch with friends and family by phone or online, and 72% are contacting older relatives to check on them.
“These are challenging times for everyone in our society and we need to be aware of the stress or uncertainty that comes with that. Keeping connected to others is very important but some of us may need a bit more support during this time – especially those that are already using mental health services.”
DR SIOBHAN NI BHRIAIN, CONSULTANT PSYCHIATRIST AND HSE INTEGRATED CARE LEAD.
For updated and factual Public Health information and advice on COVID-19 Coronavirus, please visit hse.ie/coronavirus or call 1800 700 700
For the latest information on the Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, please visit hse.ie/covid-19-vaccine
