PROJECT | ONLINE MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING

Mental health awareness for NHS healthcare providers

Research indicates that mental health issues in people who have acquired spinal cord injuries are of great concern and often difficult to assess or understand by health professionals. A range of NHS health providers have also shared that they like to improve their confidence supporting patients with mental health problems, and have they requested more knowledge and skills to enable them to support people suffering with poor mental health associated with spinal cord injuries. 

Wilder Network practitioner, Richard Matthews, is an experienced psycho-therapeutic counselor, higher education specialist and spinal injury survivor. For the past five months he has been working with the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) and the Frank William Academy, in partnership with NHS Trust England, delivering a programme of 6 different virtual mental health and spinal cord injury education modules, tailored to the needs of NHS healthcare providers.

The online training provided:

• space for debate around a range of mental health issues, including incidence of suicidal ideation and the impact of suicidal ideation and behaviour on healthcare professionals,
• space for conversation about ways to support spinal cord injury patients suffering with depressions and anxiety, make risk assessments and refer to appropriate support services.
• information and awareness about PTSD, its increased incidence in spinal cord injury, and help finding strategies for support and making referrals for specialised treatment.

I got a lot from this webinar. In particular the confidence to open up dialogue about low mood/ depression for my patients. It was powerful to hear that sometimes just listening, validating feelings can be enough and encouraging self expression can be the first step to accepting support

– Anonymous NHS healthcare practitioner, April 2024.