There are five ways to happiness

WHAT in Brighton and Hove makes you happy?

Is it simply being by the sea? Or browsing among the numerous shops in The Lanes?

It might be going on to the Palace Pier, taking a look around the Pavilion or taking advantage of the parks and surrounding countryside.

For others it may be the many plays, concerts and shows staged every week, sitting down in the park and watching the world go by or going along to watch or take part in major events such as the Brighton Marathon, Brighton Festival, Pride or Children’s Parade.

Now, for the first time, GPs and public health experts have joined forces with Sussex Police, local businesses, arts and community groups to raise public awareness of the ways everyone can help to improve mental wellbeing.

They are also looking at how services in the city will support people’s mental health during the next three years.

Depression

Public Health England data reveals that Brighton and Hove has one of the highest suicide rates in England and hospital admission rates for self harm are 50% higher than the national average.

A quarter more adults registered with a GP have a diagnosis of depression compared with the rest of the country.

Increasing numbers of children and young people are being referred to child and adolescent mental health services and attending A&E suffering from self-harm injuries. Rates for these incidents have doubled in the past few years.

The “Five Ways to Wellbeing” are outlined in a new report produced by the Brighton and Hove Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and city council.

They focus on what people can do practically to boost their mood and general mental health.

They are:

• Connect with the people around you – family, friends, colleagues and neighbours – building these connections will support and enrich you;

• Be active – discover a physical activity you enjoy and suits your level of mobility and fitness because exercise makes you feel good;

• Take notice – savouring the moment, whether walking to work, eating your lunch or talking to friends, will help you appreciate what matters to you;

• Keep learning – enjoy achieving a new challenge and boost your confidence by trying something new or rediscovering an old interest;

• Give – join a volunteer group or just do something nice for someone . It can be incredibly rewarding and create a connection with the people around you.

Local GP and CCG clinical lead for mental health Becky Jarvis said: “The Five Ways can help us develop emotional resilience in day-to-day life so that we can cope with upsetting or difficult events.

“Strong emotional resilience doesn’t mean we won’t feel sad or upset but it does enable us to cope better with challenges such as bereavement, divorce, unemployment, becoming a new mum or retiring.

“Feeling connected and able to contribute to the community is an important part of this.

“Despite being a vibrant city, Brighton and Hove is also home to a lot of lonely, isolated people living very disconnected lives.”

The council and NHS have launched a £100,000 Innovation Fund to support local projects that will help people link the Five Ways to their lives.

Stigma

Grants will be awarded to schemes that match a variety of criteria, including encouraging people to take part in community growing projects, supporting employers to help people manage their wellbeing in the workplace, using the arts as a way of communicating about mental health, and promoting the wellbeing of children and young people.

The aim is to break down the stigma about mental ill health and get everyone in the city seeing mental health and wellbeing as part of everyone’s business.

Brighton and Hove director of public health Tom Scanlon said: “The link between mental well-being and physical health is well documented, with optimism, positive mood and higher rates of community trust all associated with lower rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and mental illness.

“The cost of poor mental health is high for individuals and our city, in terms of self harm, crime, drug and alcohol problems, and also places a huge burden on local NHS services and the economy.”

The aim of the report is to take a preventative approach by addressing the wider factors that influence mental wellbeing (such as green spaces and employment) as well as ensuring there are responsive high-quality services and support available for people of all ages.

Mental wellbeing includes a person’s feelings, such as contentment and enjoyment, and their ability to function well in their lives and engage with the world.

Curiosity

Feelings of happiness, contentment, enjoyment, curiosity and engagement are characteristic of someone who has a positive experience of their life.

Emotional resilience is the ability to cope with upsetting or difficult life events, to learn from mistakes and bad experiences and then be able to leave them behind.

The report says regular participation in sport and physical activity is a great way to improve mental health and well being.

Local employers can also get involved as work can provide opportunities for purposeful engagement with the world, while arts and culture providers can prompt people to think differently about themselves and others.

Green and growing projects can help people feel part of the natural world, while food and cooking projects can weave together the everyday pleasure of eating and the pleasure of dining with each other.

• Help and support for mental patients

A COMPREHENSIVE mental health service is available to the people of Brighton and Hove.

This includes:

• 24/7 crisis support;

• Short-term support for people experiencing common mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression;

• Specialist services, including ones for eating disorders;

• Longer-term support for people with more serious mental health conditions. This is complemented by a wide range of support services provided in the voluntary sector.

TAKEPART is a two-week sport and physical activity festival featuring 14 community events and 150 sport and physical activity club taster sessions.

There are hundreds of free opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get involved.

For details, visit brighton-hove.gov.uk/takepart.

INVISIBLE Flock mapped people’s happy memories of places in Brighton and Hove at the city’s Onca Gallery, as part of the Brighton Festival in May. They then told the story of the memories, some sad, some happy, as a celebration event – Bring the Happy – with support from the band Hope and Social.

The seaside, student parties, babies born at the hospital and family and neighbours were all strong themes.

All of the memories collected can be browsed at bringthehappy.co.uk.

THE SICK! Festival is a pioneering programme of events, exhibitions, panels and debates that bring together the worlds of medicine, of arts, of academia and research, and patients in a powerful blend.

It is a really good example of work that aims to challenge stigma by exploring issues in a very public and crafted way.

Audience reactions have been tremendous and the festival is making an impact, raising the profile of issues around mental health, creating conversations and debate and bringing organisations and individuals together to share and explore challenges and solutions.

Organisations and charities across Brighton and Hove are marking World Mental Health Day and celebrating the Five Ways to Wellbeing. Find out more at: brighton-hove.gov.uk/content/health-and-social-care/health-and-wellbeing/world-mental-health-day-2014.

• The wellbeing project champions

Happiness Champions from all areas of the city have been appointed to drive the three-year project forward.

Dave Padwick: Chief Inspector, Sussex Police “Our research shows 23% of our work in the city involves mental health. Nearly one third of young people between 13 and 18 who offend have a mental health need and almost half of adult prisoners suffer from anxiety and/or depression compared to 15% of the general population.

Sussex Police is working closely with the city council, charities and the NHS to ensure we are doing all we can to help.

“Brighton and Hove is piloting a liaison and diversion scheme, which aims to identify, assess and refer people with mental health, learning disability, substance misuse and social vulnerabilities into treatment or support services when they first come into contact with the police or the criminal justice system.”

Tony Mernagh: executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership “Increasingly, employers are realising that the way to keep their customers happy is to ensure that their staff are happy. Good employers also accept that their duty of care for staff extends to their mental health as well as health and safety in the workplace. Many of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work every week, so the workplace has a huge role to play in making or breaking our happiness and wellbeing.”

Vic Borrill: director, Brighton and Hove Food Partnership “Food has a great power for making people happy and well - it is so much more than fuel. Good nutrition is vital for both physical and mental health. Food is also a means to achieving wellbeing, for example in the companionship found on a community allotment, at the shared meal for a cultural celebration and in the pride when someone learns to cook for the first time.”

Darren Emilianos: GP at Woodingdean medical centre “We need to promote wellbeing while also providing services and support for the serious illnesses that affect people. I hope to learn things that will help when working with our patients, the community of Woodingdean and the whole of Brighton and Hove. I am also really keen to make sure that the environment of our practice contributes to patient health and wellbeing – thinking about things like the seating arrangements, the use of colour and materials and with the plans we have for using and rotating specially chosen artworks on our walls.”

Becky Jarvis: GP and clinical lead for mental health at the CCG “Our Happiness strategy and commissioning plans aren't just about looking at what happen when people are ill, but the wider issue of wellbeing which can have a significant impact on our physical health. Every day in my GP consulting room I see the impact that mental wellbeing has on the health outcomes of my patients, and so I am thrilled to have been selected as a Happiness Champion.

Andrew Comben: Chief executive, Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival “I like the idea of bringing together a partnership across the city. I believe that art and culture has a vital role to play in our individual and collective wellbeing. In art and culture we find explanations for who we are, why we feel the way we do and we are allowed to dream, imagine and work through alternative futures and possibilities. Add to all this the positive benefits of participating – making and doing art, music, dance, theatre – and we have a remarkable way to improve wellbeing, prevent poor mental health and promote engagement, social cohesion and personal fulfilment.”

Tom Scanlon: Director of public health, Brighton and Hove “A considerable body of evidence has detailed how the biological 'wear and tear' of negative emotions harms the body, causing higher rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, mental illness and premature mortality. By contrast, optimism, a positive mood and higher rates of community trust are all associated with lower rates of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and mental illness and better lifestyle choices, which in turn foster a virtuous circle. We can all help create these conditions of optimism, positive mood and community trust.”