NHS Trust advises Kirklees to ‘ask for IAPT’ in support of Mental Health Awareness Week

In support of Mental Health Awareness Week, South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is encouraging people in Kirklees experiencing anxiety or depression to seek support from specialist IAPT services.

IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) provides psychological treatments, sometimes called ‘talking treatments’, to help people who are stressed, depressed or anxious.

Each year, the Mental Health Foundation runs Mental Health Awareness Week, which promotes a topic such as loneliness, anger or fear in a bid to reduce stigma and raise awareness. This year’s Mental Health Awareness Week takes place from 12 – 18 May and the theme for 2014 is ‘anxiety’.

To support the initiative, the Trust is encouraging people experiencing these common mental health conditions to visit their GP and ‘ask for IAPT’.

The experienced professionals in the Kirklees IAPT team work alongside local GPs to help people address their current problems; develop new ways of coping, and talk about any difficulties they may be experiencing in a supportive and non-judgemental environment. They can help people in lots of different ways by offering online treatments, telephone treatments, evening classes, and face to face treatment.

As well as being able to access the service through GP surgeries, patients in Kirklees will also be able to self-refer to the service from 1 June 2014.

Sarah Kingswell, senior psychological wellbeing practitioner with Kirklees IAPT, said: “People often feel anxious, stressed or have trouble sleeping but sometimes these feelings can become overwhelming and make it harder to cope with everyday life. One in four people experience mental health problems throughout their lives but don’t always know where to turn.

“Our trained team of health professionals provide effective techniques, tailored to individuals, to help people overcome and manage their feelings of stress, low mood and worry. By going to your GP and asking for IAPT, you can get the help you need.”

For more information about IAPT services in Kirklees, call 01484 343700 or visit www.askforIAPT.co.uk