Rachel Grant
I work in the programmes team at the Mental Health Foundation, delivering online education projects so that people are empowered to look after their mental health and the mental health of others.
Location United Kingdom
Activity
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Rachel Grant replied to Louise Rennie
Louise I'm so glad that you had that little nudge to talk about these feelings together and that it helped! Connection is absolutely one of the most important parts of the best models for mental health recovery, keep it up!
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Love this, and also this is a great example of how the people around a person can notice changes and encourage them to seek support with mental health, which they may not have done without this encouragement. Sounds like you are really doing the work, well done and all the best!
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It's a shame when talented people are forced to leave important professions due to a lack of care for their own needs, but more power to you for setting that boundary!
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Rachel Grant replied to Marian Hanson
Thank you so much for sharing and my sincerest condolences for the loss of your sister. I also really admire your growth mindset, you are absolutely right- there is always more to learn and room to grow!
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Thanks for sharing, it's so great to see stories of success where the stigma is shifting!
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Tracy, you may be interested in our free course re: supporting people with long-term conditions. See link if useful :)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/confident-conversations-supporting-the-emotional-wellbeing-of-people-with-long-term-conditions/1 -
We definitely don't have all the answers but I hope you can see that you're not alone with this struggle!
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Thank you so much for your kind words, really glad it has been helpful!
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Very true, I think we should promote interdependence over independence!
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What we mean by this is being able to cope with negative emotions, perhaps by having some well-known strategies you can use to calm yourself down such as exercising, reaching out to a friend or cooking a nutritious meal. They key is not to avoid negative emotions, but to work through them. I hope that helps!
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Really great reflection. Sounds like you have a lot of good ideas and intentions already, and I would add that tact is very much a skill that can be learned, honed and developed so hopefully you will feel more confident with practise!
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Rachel Grant replied to Jan Cantle
Jan this is a personal judgement on a participant from a case study which is clear breach of the ground rules you accepted upon enrolling. We will need to have this comment removed.
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Thank you for your honesty. Your story goes to show that suicidal ideation and attempt can happen with young children and that they need to be supported and protected. It's great to hear that these thoughts and feelings are behind you now, but if you do find that you need someone to talk to, this course is not a forum that can provide that. Please see our...
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Rachel Grant replied to Martin H
Very true. It's a great idea for mothers and fathers to have their own separate support as well as being able to access support as a family.
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Hi Zoe, that sounds like a good question. I suppose it's more of a yes/no question, and people experiencing distress often exhibit self-minimising behaviour so as not to make a fuss or be seen as a burden so are quite likely to just say no. It might be better to ask - what can I do to help? Again, this is really just a conversation starter. People experiencing...
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These are all great ideas, sounds like you're very pro-active with this and it's much appreciated! I do tend to find that people assume that children need brain breaks more than adults, but we all do! Brain breaks help us to refocus and sustain our energy throughout the day- combining them with opportunities to connect and have fun is a win-win! :)
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This is really interesting Louise, thanks for sharing. From an anecdotal point of view, I know people in that situation who have reported feeling discriminated against in similar circumstances. Essentially what they've said is that they know their own limitations, and wouldn't have put themselves forward for a job if they didn't think they could manage it. I...
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It's definitely very tricky. I think your first response is good, it challenges the person to see things from a different perspective that they may not have considered and to see perhaps a flaw in their logic.
The second response could be received as a personal attack, so I imagine it might be more helpful to simply let them know how it has landed for you...
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Apologies for the lack of clarity, I can amend this now to make it crystal clear that all steps within the activity cover these issues. Thanks for the feedback!
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Thank you for the feedback!
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Exactly, we prefer this more fluid representation of mental health.
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I'm so sorry for your loss Stacy. We definitely need to continue to work to reduce stigma and help people to speak up when in need.
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Hi Akogwu, I believe that the certificate is available only for those who upgrade their memberships I'm afraid but I'm really glad the course has been helpful for you!
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Rachel Grant replied to Andrew F
Exactly, I think the takeaway here is not to generalise and just look at individuals and their needs.
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Rachel Grant replied to Andrew F
Thank you for sharing, and whilst there are so many legitimate frustrations it's also so important that we recognise and celebrate those places and practitioners who are getting it right as you have done here!
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Rachel Grant replied to Mary Tilki
@CT I agree, people with different conditions won't have the same experience so differentiation and tailoring of services is important.
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Rachel Grant replied to Mary Tilki
Yes, being proactive is important rather than waiting for people to ask for help (which can be really hard to do).
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Rachel Grant replied to Mary Tilki
Love this! At the Mental Health Foundation this is very much our view on improving the mental health of the nation. Increasing access to therapies is part of what's needed, but every single person in society can make a difference and you don't have to be a mental health specialist to do so.
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Rachel Grant replied to Gemma Price
Fantastic, welcome Gemma!
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Rachel Grant replied to Hajra Waheed Kayani Kayani
These are all such beautiful ideas, thank you for sharing! Small gestures can make a big difference <3
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Agreed - mental health needs are neither 'always met' or 'never met' by healthcare providers. It often varies on individual practices, departments and practitioners. Hopefully this course will help people at an individual level to be as sensitive and caring as possible.
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Rachel Grant replied to Victoria Nwanne
I agree, I think the strength of these peer support groups is that everyone meets each other at the same level. There is no rescuer-victim dynamic, but a meeting of minds and genuine empathy and connection.
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Absolutely! It reminds me of the saying... How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
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Rachel Grant replied to Amy Rosser
Hi Amy, I have some concerns around the data protection of your former client here from what you have shared. The mention of attempted suicide without a trigger warning may also be distressing to some of our other learners. For both of these reasons, please may I ask you to re-read the code of conduct as stated in step 1.1 and remove this comment. Thank you!
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@JanCantle Hi Jan, I would likewise like to extend my condolences for everything you have been through and continue to go through. It sounds like you could really use some support and unfortunately this is not a space where we can provide that. I would invite you to check out this page which may have some helpful signposting....
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All good points, and ensuring that the mental health support available to people living with medically unexplained symptoms is absolutely a key area for investigation and improvement. A gentle reminder please to not comment on the particular cases of individuals in the interviews such as Rich.
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Rachel Grant replied to Andrew F
Welcome Andrew, so pleased to see you here! :) I hope you get what you need from this course for yourself and your community!
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Rachel Grant replied to Karen B
Welcome, Karen!
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Very true, although I would add that it's not only younger people who struggle with poor body image. We have an article on 'body image in later life' which you may find interesting! https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/research/body-image-how-we-think-and-feel-about-our-bodies/body-image-later-life
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Rachel Grant replied to Zoe Norris
That's a great explanation, and I like the focus on the lack of connection and hopefulness/optimism for change that you've highlighted. This marries with the CHIME model of mental health recovery. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7344157/)
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Thank you for sharing and I'm so sorry for your loss. It must be really difficult to make that choice on whether to disclose the nature of your father's death when you're asked, given that you want to be honest but also can't anticipate their reaction. I think you're right that public awareness of suicide is much better these days but there is still some way...
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Thank you for sharing that Zoe, that's really valuable advice and probably a sign that many people wouldn't recognise.
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Very true. There's a difference between attending a training event and learning from a training event. I think that's where the quality of the training and the level of engagement created makes a huge difference. If people can truly connect with the topic, it is likely to result in behaviour change.
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Absolutely. And rest doesn't just mean 'sleep'. We need creative rest, spiritual rest, social rest, digital rest and much more.
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Rachel Grant replied to Chloe Lucey
Absolutely, it's about finding the right balance!
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We've noticed that too! You're right, it's not grammatically correct to use the term 'having mental health' as a substitute for 'having poor mental health'. After all, we all have mental health in some form or another! However, I find it helpful myself to prioritise mutual understanding over good grammar. If I understand what they mean, that's the most...
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I like this a lot, self-reflection and self-awareness are definitely important skills or habits for regulating our emotions which is certainly a key aspect of good mental health.
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Welcome, Onthatile! Sounds like you have a clear strategy for achieving your goals, we're pleased to be a part of your journey of continual professional development!
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Rachel Grant replied to Maggie Zheng
Welcome, Maggie. That's fantastic, I really hope this course helps you to feel more confident with supporting your parents!
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Rachel Grant replied to Vasiliki Zaxari
Welcome, Vasiliki! There are definite patterns with certain industries. People working in health and social care, teaching and also construction are at higher risk of experiencing poor mental health for example and certainly the hospitality sector too! Stakes are high, mistakes can harm people's health, working hours are often during evenings and weekends and...
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That's really true. Although well-intentioned, comparing a person's experience to others isn't really helpful because it diverts the attention away from their experience and can lead to feeling invalidated or overshadowed.
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Brilliant, thanks so much for this feedback and your commitment to the course!
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are indeed traumatising due to the nature of the experiences but also the developmental phase that people are in when they experience them. Safety is the very first thing we need as They certainly can and often do have a huge effect on people's mental health far beyond childhood so it's important that you have highlighted...
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Some great examples here. Being denied a job because your mental illness might return would be direct discrimination and being discriminated against because you have a relative who may be a substance misuser would be discrimination by association. Discrimination by perception would be when someone believes you to have a mental illness (when you don't) but...
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Welcome Donna, I hope this course gives you lots of ideas!
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I'm so sorry to hear about your colleague. That's a really tragic outcome and reminds us of the somber reality that many people experience such distress and without support this can be life-ending. Your advice really resonates and hits home, thank you for sharing.
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That's fantastic, and I'm sure was very well appreciated. Hopefully the organisation will build the risk of distress or trauma arising from the work into their risk assessment processes and provide preventative measures in future too!
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Exactly, there's no quick fix for this- it's about building trust with consistent, regular efforts and signs to show people that your workplace is a psychologically safe setting.
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That is so disciplined and fantastic for the mind and body, keep it up!
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Rachel Grant replied to Sally F
That's a really good point, and I would love to see this model expanded to include factors which individuals have more control of - including attitudes, beliefs, resilience as you say and different personalities.
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Rachel Grant replied to Sally F
Absolutely! This 'sweet spot' is sometimes referred to as the 'zone of proximal development'. This is where we have work which is challenging enough to take us out of our comfort zone, learn and feel motivated about our growth but not so challenging that it can trigger panic, disengagement and feelings of being overwhelmed.
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That's so great to hear!! :)
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Rachel Grant replied to Elaine Eassom
Welcome Elaine!
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That's a really interesting set up and still quite rare! Are there any particular pros and cons that you've noticed?
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Rachel Grant replied to Sandra Miller
Exactly, burnout isn't an illness - it can lead to mental illnesses if not addressed- but in and of itself it's a distressing experience which worsens wellbeing.
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Managing study alongside work is incredibly challenging, I really admire your ambition and drive! It sounds like you're nearing the finish line with your studies which I'm sure will pay dividends greatly in the long-term but it's so important to look after your wellbeing in the short-term while juggling so much. My colleagues in our programmes team have some...
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Rachel Grant replied to Alecia Burke
There are so many pros and cons to remote working, it's really useful to hear your perspective on the negative impact it can have on working relationships, which highlights the need for proactive teambuilding initiatives for remote workers.
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Absolutely, everyone has a role to play in shifting the culture, regardless of seniority- but leaders in particular are in the key position of power to make decisions that put policies into action.
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I really like this tiered approach to managing mental health!
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Hi Alecia and welcome to the course! That sounds like a really difficult political context to be working but so pleased to see you committed to taking a grassroots approach for your team. :)
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Rachel Grant replied to Sally F
Welcome, Sally! Looking forward to hearing your perspectives from Barcelona!
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Rachel Grant replied to Ellie Thorne
Brilliant, welcome Ellie! Hope you find the course really helpful!
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Rachel Grant replied to Beth O'Neill
Thank you for joining us!
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Rachel Grant replied to Jo Lloyd
So pleased that the course was beneficial to you. Really enjoyed reading your pledges too, wishing you all the best with continuing to be a changemaker at work!
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Rachel Grant replied to Michelle Buckles
Brilliant, welcome Michelle! We'll be very lucky to learn from your expertise in the comments section!
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Rachel Grant replied to Melanie Biggin
I think the fact that you signed up to this course in the first place is proof that you're not 'failing'! There's always more to learn, and we're really pleased that this has been a useful tool on your journey. :)
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Thanks so much for sharing Melanie, and I'm so sorry that you had such an unsupportive experience. It certainly sounds like the work situation made your health even worse or at least harder to cope with. It's understandable that your mental health would deteriorate during a period of ill health, but that's not to say that it should be expected or can't be...
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We hear something similar from lots of business owners so you're not alone! I'm sure your employees would actually respect you for leading by example when disconnecting out of hours or when on annual leave, and also feel more comfortable to do the same when it's their turn. I don't underestimate how tricky it can be to do in practice, but it's a really good...
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Absolutely true. That's why we like to use the infinity loop on our mental health continuum model- to represent that our mental health is a dynamic state of mind which can and will fluctuate.
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That's a huge question, and probably another course in itself! Something which stands out for me is the difference between external and internal validation. We can't control the thoughts or actions of others, we can only control ourselves and how much mind we pay to others' opinions. Building self-esteem, self-acceptance and self-worth is all part of this...
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Great examples! For discrimination by perception, the focus is on your own perception of that person (more so than their perception of themselves). So if you believe a person to have OCD, even though they don't, but you treat them differently because of your perception of them, that would be discrimination by perception. Hope that helps!
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That's the perfect analogy!
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David does so much work for the Mental Health Foundation as well as other organisations to amplify the voices of people with lived experience of poor mental health in order to improve standards of care. He is truly inspirational and a lovely colleague to boot!
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Rachel Grant replied to Jocelyn Wood
Exactly- creating a great working environment makes business sense, and if that's the motivator that gets more organisations on board then we welcome it!
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Really powerful evidence here, thank you Susie. We know that inequality is a massive driver for poor mental health, so in order to protect mental health we need to do better with tackling systemic and institutional injustice. We are proud to have contributed to a report by the Centre for Mental Health which was published last week, I recommend a read if you're...
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Rachel Grant replied to Ailsa Smillie
Brilliant, welcome Ailsa!
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So well put! Person-centred care is the key!
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Really good examples of direct and indirect discrimination. Discrimination by association is more to do with being discriminated against because you're connected to someone with a protected characteristic e.g. you're discriminated against because your partner has schizophrenia. Hope that helps!
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It's really interesting to look at these cultural differences. One of my Finnish friends said something similar to me, that in Finland when someone asks how you are it's really normal to give a really full response- sharing updates on your health, home, family, work and so on and she was really shocked at how private people are generally in the UK. I'm sure it...
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Rachel Grant replied to Jackie Murphy
That sounds brilliant. Having a quiet space is really inclusive practice, not only for people struggling with their mental health but really for anyone who wants to control the noise and distractions in their environment to concentrate better. Hope it goes well!
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Brilliant, thank you for taking the time to invest in this course! I hope it's beneficial to you :)
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Rachel Grant replied to Angi Pinkerton
Welcome, Angi! It's so interesting to hear about your work. At the Mental Health Foundation, our policy team is campaigning for more trauma-informed training for people in public-facing roles, with particular regard to the benefits for refugees and asylum seekers. Scotland seems to be really ahead of the curve in terms of embedding this training into local...
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Really good points here. We have a short video about mindful communication which echoes a lot of what you've said which you may be interested in.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fbrc8aLqus -
Rachel Grant replied to Varenka Briggs
You're so welcome, thank you for being with us and for sharing your valuable insights! All the best :)
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I know that you said previously that you had concerns over being judged on your return, but it sounds like the process was handled really well. It's so nice to hear these success stories, thanks for sharing!
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That's one of my favourite quotes! It really changed my perspective on work-life balance when I first saw it, helping me to understand that looking after your wellness isn't to be done as a nice treat if I have the time, but needs to be embedded into my daily routines. Thanks for sharing :)
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Thanks for highlighting this important area where discrimination is certainly still rife!
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Rachel Grant replied to Jackie Murphy
Unfortunately this sounds like a textbook response to stress and overworking and I'm so sorry you didn't have the support you needed at work! We know that a lot of mental recovery work doesn't happen in isolation, it happens within communities so I hope that your network outside of work was more helpful!
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Rachel Grant replied to Varenka Briggs
Very true, sometimes we dismiss these feelings but it can be helpful to keep a log or diary of when they occur so that we can begin to notice patterns.
