Did you know that annually one in four adults in England experiences mental health issues?
This year's Mental Health Awareness Week theme is community, and at Lincolnshire Action Trust community is at the centre of everything. For many people we support, mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, shame and isolation can feel overwhelming, especially following a conviction.
In the UK, recent data from Mind indicates a concerning trend in mental health. A significant portion of the population experiences mental health challenges, with one in four adults in England estimated to experience a mental health problem each year. Moreover, 7.8% of adults in the UK reported feeling lonely “always or often” in 2024.
Nobody should have to face this alone, and that's exactly why we are here to help. We believe that positive change is always possible when working together.
Our work with two clients, Ken and John, shows that positive impact of community in helping them cope with mental health. Ken and John know at first hand just how important our services are to feel understood and heard when going through a hard time.
Case Study: Ken
The Probation Service referred Ken to LAT’s Personal Wellbeing Service. Ken was burdened with guilt and shame over his offence and the impact this had on his family. He no longer had contact with his children following his arrest.
At this time Ken couldn’t articulate what support he might need. However, he did feel that his inability to acknowledge his mental health issues, not reaching out for support and a decline in his sense of wellbeing had contributed to his offending.
He had been struggling with depression, anxiety, panic attacks and loss of identity. Although Ken had a driver’s licence, anxiety and panic attacks had made driving impossible.
The LAT Personal Wellbeing Service practitioner supported Ken with one-to-one sessions, and these proved to be very effective as he began to open up about his wellbeing needs and he was receptive to advice on managing his emotions.
The sessions included guidance on positive thinking; working through how to deal with shame, guilt and the need to be self-compassionate; coping skills to help with anxiety and panic attacks; workshops on anxiety, depression, male identity and resilience; and continuing encouragement to help overcome self-doubt.
This work identified some of the historical influences that had shaped Ken’s thinking. The sessions helped Ken to address these by exploring alternative and more healthy ways of thinking.
Ken changed some of his routines and practised new coping skills. This resulted in a significant reduction in his anxiety and the occurrence of panic attacks. He experienced a positive shift in confidence and emotional wellbeing thanks to more frequent and longer solo driving experiences.
He has now begun to explore other areas of his wellbeing and is thinking about education courses he could attend.
Case Study: John
Dealing with the loss of a loved one during his prison sentence was a very challenging time for John.
Following release, John moved to Lincolnshire to live with a member of his family. He wasn’t familiar with the area and had no friends locally. Prior to his sentence he had a good job and many friends.
John was suffering from isolation, anxiety and depression and was struggling with his identity.
The Probation Service referred him to LAT’s Personal Wellbeing Service to work on his emotional wellbeing and engagement in the community.
He was reluctant to attend Personal Wellbeing Service group sessions because of a sense of vulnerability. He was unable to make any friends because of anxiety and other contributing factors.
Initially, the LAT practitioner and John began to build a relationship through one-to-one sessions that addressed his grief following the loss of a loved one.
The practitioner then arranged for John to work on his employment needs with other LAT colleagues in CFO Evolution, a programme which supports participants from their time in custody through to their return to the community, to achieve successful resettlement and rehabilitation and reduce the risk of reoffending.
The practitioner and John then worked on reframing John’s thoughts and feelings about himself.
John responded well to this support and learned how to reflect more appropriately on his thoughts and to reframe the negatives in his life.
His biggest achievement was in gaining enough confidence to attend Personal Wellbeing Service group sessions which included men with varying backgrounds and had a non-disclosure agreement in place. He discovered that he could be himself and became a highly engaged member of the group.
At present John is looking for work and has, in the meantime, started an online business. He now has two dogs and engages with other dog walkers as he passes by.
John’s next challenge will be attending a community group.
At LAT we understand that everyone has their own challenges, and mental health means something different for everyone, so we provide a range of services to meet the needs of our community.
Our work with Ken and John highlights that help is out there - LAT provides varied mental health services for clients who need it.
Call LAT on 01522 806611 or if you feel more comfortable, email us: hello@LATcharity.org.uk
Interested in becoming a LAT volunteer and helping your community? Please see our current vacancies here:https://latcharity.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-recruitment/
