People with a learning disability are more likely to experience poor mental health than the general population. To mark Mental Health Awareness Week we have brought together many useful resources about mental health and well-being for people with a learning disability – including easy read guides and helpful organisations.
Mental ill-health is common, affecting one in six adults at any one time (ONS 2000) and research suggests that people with learning disabilities have an increased likelihood of developing mental ill-health, with figures ranging from 25 to 40 per cent (Hatton 2002).
Children with a learning disability are also more likely to suffer from mental health problems than children without a learning disability.
We have rounded-up some recent useful resources about mental health, well-being and learning disability. If you know of any other good organisations and resources please let us know.
The theme this year for Mental Health Awareness Week is nature.
Guidance for good mental health
- Easy Read Guide for Good Mental Health – Learning Disability Wales
Easy read guides to help with mental health during the coronavirus pandemic
- Good Days and Bad Days During Lockdown (PDF) – Beyond Words
- COVID-19 Guided Self-help Booklet Series – Scottish Commission for Learning Disability
Public Health Wales guides to looking after your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic
- How are you doing? – Staying well at home information hub. Resources and advice about: Saying physically and mentally well: Staying connected with friends, family, work colleagues and your community; Helping others.
- Alcohol and staying healthy (PDF) (April 2020)
- Eating well (PDF) (April 2020)
- Keeping active (PDF) (April 2020)
- Smoking and staying healthy (PDF) (April 2020)
- Keeping in touch (PDF) (April 2020)
- Looking after your feelings and your body (PDF)
Beyond Words guides to mental health
Beyond Words have a series of guide about mental health and well-being. The books are priced £10, or £4.95 for an e-book.
Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities guides
‘Feeling down: improving the mental health of people with learning disabilities’
This detailed report about mental health (PDF) and learning disability from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities is designed to help promote positive mental health by offering information, case studies and real-life experiences of people with learning disabilities and their carers and their strategies for enhancing their mental wellbeing.
As part of the report, the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities have also produced an excellent easy read guide, ‘Feeling Down: Looking After My Mental Health’ (PDF).
The guide is in five parts and has advice and information about how to look after yourself and get the best out of life.
- What is mental health?
- How to keep yourself feeling well
- What to do when you are worried about your mental health
- Planning a visit to your GP
- GP Information Pack
Other resources about mental health and learning disability
The Judith Trust focuses its work on the problems faced by people who have both a learning disability and mental ill-health. Their website has lots of useful resources, research and case studies.
Mencap have a useful section about mental health and learning disability on their website. It includes information and advice about useful treatments, such as Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic therapy, and family therapy.
NHS Fife have made a leaflet for carers: ‘A Carer’s Guide to Depression in People with a Learning Disability’ (PDF).
Books Beyond Words have produced a series of easy read story books about depression and mental health: ‘Sonia’s Feeling Sad’, ‘Ron’s Feeling Blue’, ‘Feeling Cross and Sorting It Out’.
‘Mindfulness for Kids with LD’. Mindfulness means being able to focus on the current moment and letting go of other thoughts. The Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities website in the United States has a really good web page with tips about how mindfulness can help children with a learning disability manage stress and anxiety. It also includes a list of recommended apps for children and young people.
Dewis Cymru is a ‘one-stop shop’ for information about well-being in Wales, providing quality information from a network of social care, health and third sector organisations across Wales.
National Autistic Society have a useful section on their website about mental health and autism.
Workbook to help people with learning disabilities who experience psychosis: guide for NHS clinicians – Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) NHS Trust
ECL (Essex): Easy Read guide to anxiety management for adults with learning disabilities
The National Institute for Health and Social Care Excellence (NICE) have guidance on ‘Mental health problems in people with learning disabilities: prevention, assessment and management’.
This guideline covers preventing, assessing and managing mental health problems in people with learning disabilities in all settings (including health, social care, education, and forensic and criminal justice). It aims to improve assessment and support for mental health conditions, and help people with learning disabilities and their families and carers to be involved in their care.
Welsh Government introduced the ‘Mental Health (Wales) Measure’ in 2010, which places new legal duties on local health boards and local authorities about the assessment and treatment of mental health problems. Mental Health Wales have a useful guide to the ‘Mental Health Measure’ for people who use services and their families.
‘I had a black dog, his name was depression‘: This powerful and beautifully-told animated video from writer and illustrator Matthew Johnstone tells the story of overcoming the “black dog of depression”. More information on the book can be found at: http://matthewjohnstone.com.au.
‘STOMP: Stopping the over-medication of people with a learning disability, autism or both’. This health campaign aims to stop the over-use of psychotropic medication to manage people’s behaviour. The campaign is focused mainly in England but is very relevant to Wales.
Helpful organisations
C.A.L.L. Helpline – Mental Health Helpline For Wales
C.A.L.L. is a mental health helpline for Wales, providing emotional support, referral to agencies and free self help leaflets for anyone in Wales. Freephone 0800 132 737 or text the word “help” to 81066. The Mental Health Helpline service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Papyrus – for the prevention of young suicide (under 35)
Respond – Services for people with a learning disability, autism or both, who have experienced abuse or trauma.
Samaritans – in your community
Wales Learning Disability Helpline – The Wales Learning Disability Helpline is available to everyone in Wales, whether you are a person with a learning a learning disability, a family member or a friend. Call 0808 8000 300
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