3.3. Explain how to support an individual to promote own mental health and well-being

This guide will help you answer 3.3. Explain how to support an individual to promote own mental health and well-being.

Supporting an individual to promote their mental health and well-being requires a person-centred approach. This means recognising the individual’s unique needs and empowering them to take ownership of their mental health. It involves providing encouragement, information, and resources to help them manage their emotions, build resilience, and make positive changes.

This guide outlines how workers in health and social care can support individuals in maintaining and improving their mental health and well-being.

What are Individual Needs?

Every person’s mental health journey is unique. To support someone effectively, you must first understand their circumstances, experiences, and challenges. Open communication is vital for discovering what they find helpful and what barriers they face.

Steps to understand individual needs include:

• Speaking Openly: Encourage the person to talk about their feelings, worries, or goals. Create a non-judgemental atmosphere so they feel safe being honest.
• Listening Actively: Pay attention to their words, tone, and body language. Listening is one of the most powerful tools in offering support.
• Respecting Their Perspectives: Avoid imposing your own ideas or opinions. Respect all emotions, even if they differ from your own view.

Providing Emotional Support

Mental health challenges can make a person feel isolated or misunderstood. Emotional support reassures them that they are not alone and that others care about them.

Key ways to provide emotional support include:

• Building Trust: Develop positive relationships by showing understanding, patience, and empathy.
• Normalising Their Feelings: Help them recognise that their emotions are valid and that it’s okay to feel sad, anxious, or overwhelmed.
• Encouraging Self-Expression: Suggest talking, writing, drawing, or other creative outlets to help them process their feelings.

Educating Them About Mental Health

One of the most effective ways to support an individual is to empower them with knowledge about mental health. Many people experiencing difficulties may not fully understand what they are going through, or they may not know what factors impact mental well-being.

Educating them might involve:

• Explaining how diet, sleep, exercise, and social connections affect mental health.
• Providing information about coping techniques such as mindfulness and relaxation.
• Sharing resources like brochures, videos, online tools, or helpline numbers.

Setting Achievable Goals

Supporting someone often involves helping them set realistic goals that contribute to their mental well-being. Goals give individuals focus and motivation, and achieving small successes builds confidence.

Tips for setting goals include:

• Breaking Tasks Into Steps: Help the individual take gradual steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed.
• Highlighting Their Strengths: Use encouragement to remind them of their abilities and past successes.
• Setting Timeframes: Agree on achievable deadlines to provide structure while staying flexible.

Promoting Independence and Empowerment

It’s important to help the individual take ownership of their mental health. While providing guidance is helpful, individuals need to feel confident in managing their situation on their own. Empowering someone means offering suggestions, not giving direct instructions.

Ways to encourage independence include:

• Letting Them Make Decisions: Support them to choose therapies, coping strategies, or activities they feel comfortable with.
• Building Resilience: Encourage them to develop coping skills like positive self-talk or assertiveness.
• Celebrating Their Efforts: Acknowledge their progress, no matter how small.

Offering Practical Support

Mental health difficulties can affect practical aspects of life, such as work, finances, or housing. Supporting individuals in these areas reduces stress and allows them to focus on improving their mental health.

Practical help may involve:

• Assisting them with paperwork for mental health services or benefits.
• Helping them organise their day-to-day responsibilities.
• Connecting them with local resources like support groups, drop-in centres, or job services.

Encouraging Social Connections

Isolation can worsen mental health struggles, so encouraging social connections is crucial. Whether suggesting they spend time with friends or join a shared activity, social interactions contribute to a sense of belonging.

Ways to encourage connections include:

• Helping them find local clubs, activities, or volunteering opportunities.
• Supporting them to re-establish contact with family or friends.
• Encouraging positive online communities if face-to-face contact is difficult.

Recognising Early Warning Signs

Part of supporting someone involves spotting signs that their mental well-being may be declining. If a person is withdrawing, showing unusual behaviour, or experiencing prolonged sadness, it may be time to intervene.

When noticing warning signs:

• Approach the person with concern but avoid judgement.
• Ask open-ended questions to encourage them to share their feelings.
• Help them seek professional advice if their symptoms persist or worsen.

Encouraging Professional Help When Necessary

Although you can offer emotional and practical support, there will be situations where professional intervention is required. Recognising when someone needs therapy, counselling, or medical treatment is vital for ensuring their mental health doesn’t decline further.

Encourage the individual to:

• Contact their GP for an initial discussion.
• Explore free services such as NHS talking therapies or charities like Mind.
• Accept referrals to specialists like psychiatrists or psychologists if recommended.

Creating a Supportive Environment

The environment around an individual plays a significant part in their mental well-being. A supportive atmosphere at home, school, or work can greatly enhance their ability to promote their mental health.

Ways of creating supportive environments include:

• Reducing stressors such as noise or clutter.
• Encouraging healthy habits in daily routines.
• Promoting kindness, patience, and acceptance in relationships.

Adopting a Person-Centred Approach

Every individual has unique needs, so your support must reflect their preferences. A person-centred approach focuses on customising your help based on what is most useful to that individual.

To adopt this approach:

• Ask them how they want to be supported.
• Avoid making assumptions about their experiences.
• Be flexible in adapting your help as their needs change.

Final Thoughts

Supporting an individual means being reliable, compassionate, and knowledgeable. It requires patience, as mental health improvements take time. Your input can make a significant difference in helping someone feel empowered, capable, and supported on their personal journey. By working alongside them and encouraging self-management, you foster their ability to maintain mental health independently in the long run.