in this area here in Jersey. Organisations such as Mind Jersey and St. John Ambulance offer excellent training in helping employers and voluntary sector groups to recognise the early signs and symptoms of mental ill health and educate people out of stigma and discrimination.


Last year, as an


organisation, all Church of England Clergy in the Island underwent training in resilience, to help them recognise issues in their own mental well-being and, in 2020 we shall be undergoing the training I have just mentioned, so that we can be better equipped to recognise the issues that affect 25% of our population.


However, it is also clear that, as an Island, we have not invested in mental health care over a sustained period of time and the result is that the system is at breaking point. So, is this just a case of throwing money at the problem? Well, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that a well- resourced mental health strategy and programme is going to flourish more than an under-resourced one.


However, the real issue is that, at the moment, many community, faith and voluntary organisations are plugging the gaps that statutory services are not able to provide.


There needs to be


sufficient support for those voluntary groups if we end up providing front line services. Community and faith


and helping people to belong.


Interestingly, the WHO (World Health Organisation) defines mental health in terms of belonging and community.


It


says mental health is: A state of wellbeing in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.


groups, such as the one I represent, bring a huge amount to the table, offering support, counselling services, housing, debt assistance, occupational therapy, as well as practical help like foodbanks (there is a recognised correlation between food security and mental health), groups where you can simply belong or to take the children for a break. Loneliness is one of the biggest contributors to poor mental health and churches play a large part in bringing cohesion to community


That definition suggests that mental health is everyone’s business, not just government or the voluntary sector. This is a community crisis in which we all have a part to play. In a world of increasing privatisation, where people no longer know (or want to know) their neighbours, where social media promotes the ‘self’ whilst at the same time providing a means to undermine self-esteem in others with little or no cost to the perpetrator, we need to be alert to the gradual erosion of community, which is the backdrop and framework within which so much of our well-being and good mental health lies.


My hope is that we take collective responsibility, that we work together in partnership to tackle this issue, where voluntary, faith and community groups work hand in hand with government, to provide a holistic approach and support those within our community who struggle to cope with the stresses of life.


20/20 - Mental Health Page 13


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