I bet I’m not the only one feeling a little wobbly at the moment. I know full well how hard it is living with Mental Health problems under normal circumstances, let alone under lockdown! A recent survey by Kings College London reveals that many people are finding things very difficult right now, and that’s not really a surprise. These are uncertain times for everyone.

I hope you are all OK out there. I’m successfully remaining as calm as I can (well, most of the time anyway!), but I’m not ashamed to admit to being worried about catching the virus and I’ve definitely been overthinking it a bit. Hopefully, my battered immune system will continue to behave itself (ditto my Mental health!) and I’ll get through this relatively unscathed – and I hope you do too.

Since I can’t be out and about very much (big up all the volunteers, NHS workers, and key workers who are out and about, keeping the UK going right now), I decided that I could use my knowledge and experience of the mental health system from home and provide some (mostly general) information that might help if you or someone you know is finding lockdown difficult from a mental health perspective.

Not all of this information will be useful for everyone, and it is strongly focused on the UK, but I hope you find something that does help – if I’ve missed anything (or if anything is incorrect), please let me know. You can comment on this post or tweet me.

NB: If you or someone you know is currently in crisis, please scroll down to the bottom of this post for details of available resources.

Stay safe, keep well, and much love x

NHS:

Guidance for the public on the mental health and wellbeing aspects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) – official UK government guidance, includes lots of links.

Mental Health Helplines – a fairly comprehensive list of helpline numbers and website links for the UK.

Mental health and wellbeing – lots of links to information and getting help.

Mental wellbeing audio guides – covering low mood and depression, anxiety, sleep, confidence, and intrusive thoughts.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Your mental wellbeing – information from NHS Inform (Scotland).

10 tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus – from Every Mind Matters.

Mental wellbeing while staying at home – from Every Mind Matters.

Trouble sleeping? – from Every Mind Matters.

Helping others with mental health problems – from Every Mind Matters.

MIND:

Coronavirus and your mental health – information and support links.

Coronavirus and your wellbeing – helpful advice for dealing with lockdown.

Helplines and Listening Services – links and numbers.

What can I do to help myself cope? – self-care suggestions if you’re having a bad day.

Coronavirus: Supporting yourself and your team – advice for working at home.

THE SAMARITANS:

If you’re worried about your mental health during the coronavirus outbreak – information and resources.

If you’re worried about someone else during the coronavirus outbreak – how to support a loved one with mental health difficulties.

Signs you may be struggling to cope – what to look out for.

Practical ways to help yourself cope – things to do that might help.

THE BLURT FOUNDATION:

The Coronavirus Helpful Hub – a helpful hub of information for people with depression.

Resources – links and toolkits for people with depression.

Self Care – information and suggestions for self-care during lockdown.

OTHER ORGANISATIONS:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): taking care of your mental health and wellbeing – advice and links from nidirect (Northern Ireland).

How are you feeling? – advice and information from Public Health Wales.

Coronavirus: How to protect your mental health – useful article from the BBC website.

Coronavirus and mental health: Supporting someone during Covid-19 – from Time To Change.

Coronavirus and isolation: supporting yourself and your colleagues – from Mental Health At Work. Includes links to a number of useful resources.

How to look after your mental health during the Coronavirus outbreak – from the Mental Health Foundation.

Stay Connected: Self-management during the Covid-19 outbreak – information and links from The Reading Agency

A little help to get you through these weird times – hints and tips from CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably)

Emotional Support – helpline and online help info from Sane.

Find A Helpline – a search tool to help you find a variety of services near you.

Eating Disorders and Coronavirus – information and support from Beat.

Coronavirus and Supporting Someone – useful information for those caring for someone with an eating disorder from Beat.

Coronavirus FAQs – questions and answers about coronavirus from Beat.

COVID-19 – advice and information from OCD Action.

OCD and Coronavirus Survival Tips – from OCD UK.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – advice for those with anxiety disorders from No Panic.

Resources – information from No Panic.

Practicing Self-Care During Times Of Uncertainty – advice and information from Papyrus: Prevention of Young Suicide.

Coronavirus Information – lots of info, resources and self-care suggestions from Together For Mental Wellbeing.

List of suicide crisis lines – worldwide list of helpline numbers from Wikipedia.

Coronavirus – what it means for you – information and helpline numbers from Breathing Space (Scotland).

BEREAVEMENT:

Grief after bereavement or loss – NHS information and links.

Coronavirus: dealing with bereavement and grief – Cruse Bereavement Care information, links, and helpline number.

Coronavirus: easy read factsheets – simple resources from Cruse Bereavement Care.

Coronavirus: useful links – includes information on mental health, funerals, and supporting children, from Cruse Bereavement Care.

Bereavement: Help and Advice – useful information from Carers UK.

KIDS AND YOUNG PEOPLE:

Guidance for parents and carers on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic – official UK government guidance, includes lots of links.

Coronavirus: Info and Advice – useful details for kids and young people from Childline.

Talking to your child about coronavirus – hints and tips from YoungMinds.

Coronavirus: A Book For Children – a rather cool downloadable text explaining the situation for kids, illustrated by Axel ‘Gruffalo’ Scheffler.

Coronavirus and mental health – advice and resources for young people from YoungMinds.

Coronavirus Advice & Support – resources for children and young people from The Children’s Society.

Looking after children and young people during the coronavirus outbreak – from Every Mind Matters.

Responding to the coronavirus: resources for mental health and wellbeing – lots of useful links from Mentally Healthy Schools (pdf file).

Coronavirus and your wellbeing – useful information for young people from Mind.

Looking After Your Mental Wellbeing During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak – advice and information from Young Scot (Scotland).

Tips on How to Deal With the Coronavirus Outbreak – information and advice from Young Scot (Scotland).

LGBT+:

Switchboard – contact details for the LGBT+ Switchboard helpline.

Switchboard Out Of Hours contact – how to get in touch outside regular opening hours.

Switchboard’s Emotional Wellbeing Support Pack – tips and advice for getting through lockdown (pdf file).

LGBT Helpline Scotland – contact details and opening hours.

Coronavirus and MindOut Services – contact details for LGBT+ mental health charity MindOut.

COVID-19: How LGBT Inclusive Organisations Can Help – links, resources and information from Stonewall.

The Wellbeing Hub – information and self-care suggestions from The LGBT Foundation.

MindLine Trans + – contact details for a confidential mental health helpline aimed at the transgender community (and their allies).

Help – links and helpline numbers from Queer Futures.

LGBTIQ+ mental health – useful information from Mind.

Useful Contacts – helpline numbers and links from Mind.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Coronavirus (COVID-19): information for families looking after someone with dementia – information from Dementia UK

Information about coronavirus (Mencap) – for people with learning disabilities, their families, and support workers.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Looking after your feelings and your body – easy read guide from Public Health England for people with learning disabilities (pdf file).

Covid-19 Mutual Aid UK – local groups providing support and practical help for the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – an incredibly comprehensive list of links and practical resources from SupportLine.

Coronavirus: Everything You Need To Know (National Autistic Society) – resources and information for people with autism and their families.

Coronavirus – protecting your mental wellbeing – information and help for carers.

Support where you live – a search tool for carers to find local support.

Support for Emergency Services – information and links from Mental Health At Work.

Support for Healthcare Workers – information and links from Mental Health At Work.

IN CRISIS?

Find Crisis support services – a search tool to find services in your area.

Where to get urgent help for mental health – NHS information and links.

Urgent Support – from Every Mind Matters.

Crisis Support – 24/7 crisis support text service from Shout.

Get Urgent Help – links and helpline numbers from YoungMinds.

Get Help Now – information and contact details for crisis services, from Rethink.