Local trust stressing the positives of coping with stress

To help raise awareness on national stress awareness day people across the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust are being invited to consider what they can do for their mental wellbeing to help deal with stress.

This year’s National Stress Awareness Day (NSAD) on Wednesday 4th November 2009 will be "Stressing the Positives" and aims to help people suffering from stress by highlighting the many coping strategies and sources of help available.

NSAD is now in its 11th year and is organised annually by the International Stress Management Association (ISMA), the leading UK Professional Body in the specialist field of stress management.

This year, together with the Health & Safety Executive and Boots, the group is offering free advice to people who want to reduce the harmful effects of stress in their lives at selected Boots stores throughout the country.

Stress can be a build up of many pressures and challenges and while some big issues in life can be exciting, others, such as redundancy and moving house, can be too demanding and result in stress and anxiety.

Ann McCracken, chair of ISMA, said: "Stress, depression and anxiety accounts for over 13.5 million workdays being lost each year, making it the single biggest cause of sickness absence in the UK. The aim, through the nationwide campaign, is to increase public awareness about the effects of stress, the treatments available and, most importantly, to help individuals suffering from stress to seek help."

South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is a specialist trust providing mental health and learning disability services to the people of Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, and it is using national stress awareness day to help raise awareness of the importance of looking after mental wellbeing.

People can learn more about mental wellbeing and local services by becoming a member of the Trust. They can do this at www.southwestyorkshire.nhs.uk and join the other 14,000 local members.

The Trust’s chief executive Steven Michael said: “We see National Stress Awareness Day as a key opportunity to increase public awareness about the effects of stress and the options available. As 1 in four of us will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year it is important to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising and take action to counteract that risk."

Mental health problems can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or social background and without care and treatment they can have a serious effect on the individual and those around them.

It is important that people with mental health problems get help and support to enable them to cope and there are many treatment options, including medication, counseling, complementary therapies and self-help strategies, available to suit different needs.

If people are concerned about their own or somebody else’s mental health they should speak to a GP or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.