AT least 3,000 people a month are battling with depression, stress, anxiety and other mental health problems in Brighton and Hove at the moment.

Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust treated 3,157 people for mental health problems with inpatient care and community care at the last recording in November.

The organisation, which oversees and helps to provide mental healthcare in the city, said this was just a snapshot of how many people were treated in a month in November last year. Exactly a year before that, 3,482 were recorded as being treated.

Changes in the way these health problems are tackled have seen new methods introduced to bridge the gap between treatment and recovery in the last two years.

A network of recovery services aims to help patients move on with their lives by learning how to cope with symptoms instead of presuming they can be cured altogether.

Healthcare specialists now recognise those with mental health challenges can lead full lives and are capable of working, settling down with a family and taking part in community projects, care and housing, provider Southdown said.

An open day organised by Southdown earlier this month raised awareness of the not-for-profit company’s Brighton and Hove Mental Health Recovery Services programme. It works with the partnership trust with funding from the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group.

As a result free educational courses, run by Brighton and Hove Recovery College at the Buckingham Road Recovery Centre, are now on offer for people in West Sussex and in the east of the county.

Southdown also runs the Preston Park Recovery Support Centre, in Preston Park Avenue, and a learning and community hub, in Frederick Place, offering jobs and housing support and courses run by ‘peer trainers’ who have experience of mental health problems. Some groups are run in venues dotted around the city.

Lynne Thomas, Southdown’s recovery services manager, works with staff and 15 peer trainers – all trained in adult education – to run 23 courses. Home visits for those unable to visit the centres or who do not yet feel comfortable to do so are available.

She said: “Mental illness in Brighton and Hove continues to be higher than average for England and many face severe mental health challenges, with some of the most common being depression and anxiety. We don’t exactly know the reason for this but it can often be linked to having hectic lives and stressful jobs but we do know not all of these people are accessing services and support.

“Over the past year and a half we have developed the support we provide so we can reach out to more people as well as provide more choice so individuals can choose support right for them.

“When I first took over this role in 2013 we had 275 people using the service and we now have around 600 people at any one time. This shows we need these types of services to ensure people do not feel so isolated. We aim to support people around their recovery and work to manage their symptoms so they can still have a fulfilling life.

“We recognise one size does not fit all and recovery can take years. Medication can have its place but we focus on other areas of their lives and we can help with alternative therapies. We offer activities including art workshops and encouraging better physical health and wellbeing.

“There are stop smoking courses and workshops to help people who have trouble sleeping which can all contribute to mental health problems. There are even things like trapeze and performing arts courses. They may not be courses traditionally linked to mental health but can build confidence.

“The peer trainers really understand what the participants have been through. To see people who can move on can inspire them.”

Lucy Locks, Sussex Partnership’s lead for Sussex Recovery College, said: “In the past NHS services have tended to focus just on treating illness. Now we find ways to get help to people earlier, focus on recovery and help them stay well.

“The most important thing the recovery college does is help people become experts in their mental health and wellbeing.

“We bring people with mental health problems, carers, our NHS specialists and groups like Southdown Recovery, together to run courses.”

For more details visit southdownhousing.org.

Case study one: Lorena Barroeta

LORENA Barroeta, 26, of York Place, Brighton, used her experience of depression and anxiety to help others suffering from mental illness.

She is now a peer trainer and teaches two courses, one which covers daily coping strategies and another, run in conjunction with a pharmacist, which teaches people about using medication safely.

Her mental health problems forced her to take time away from work and she dropped out of university twice.

She said: “At my worst I was unable to get out of bed. I couldn’t work and at one point I didn’t leave the house in 21 days.”

She said medicine, therapy and good support networks were key to her recovery.

She stressed the support of her employers made a difference. Mrs Barroeta said keeping busy helped her, and encourages others to do the same.

She