Zoë McHayle

Quantitative Researcher

Dear friend,

Hoping this latest newsletter finds you well! I’m the Centre’s Quantitative Researcher and I’m very excited to update you on our work this month. During the summer holidays, the research team has been working hard and making the most of the quiet that August tends to bring. One of the projects I've been working on this month is a mental health needs analysis for the RFU Injured Players Foundation, exploring the impacts of rugby injuries on mental health.

In other news, we published a new briefing which sets out why meeting people’s social needs is a fundamental aspect of providing good mental health support.

We’ve also been digging deep into what the climate crisis means for mental health. We brought our Festival of Ideas series to a close with an event exploring this often overlooked intersection - watch back here and read our recent blogs for more on this.

In our latest podcast episode, Andy Bell shares his take on where we’re at on the road to mental health equality - be sure to tune in!

Social needs among people living with mental health difficulties

Many people with long-term mental health difficulties live in poverty, face financial precarity and lack housing security. Helping people with these and a wide range of other social needs is fundamental to good mental health support.

This briefing explores the value of social interventions like Housing First, IPS employment services and benefits advice, and highlights other helpful social interventions that need further research to establish their full potential.

For our fifth and final Festival of Ideas event we took a deep dive into the climate crisis and its impact on mental health.

Our excellent panel of speakers shared reflections from research and personal experience about this often overlooked intersection, and proposed ideas of how we can protect mental health in the midst of environmental catastrophes.

Watch all the events in this series here

Mental health in the midst of the climate crisis: our Festival of Ideas event

by Frederico Cardoso & Nick Treloar

It’s getting hot in here: extreme temperatures and mental health

by Holly Jones

Thea Joshi sits down with Andy Bell to discuss the changes that have been forged in mental health in the last 20 years, and the distance we have yet to travel to eradicate persisting inequalities.

Do you work for a local council? Join the Mentally Healthier Councils Network!

This new Network enables people working in local government to  come together and exchange ideas of how to make a real difference to mental health in our communities. Our series of regional launch events begins soon - make sure you don’t miss out by signing up today!