Living Well: Emotional Support Matters

In partnership with Mental Health Foundation (this link will take you away from our website) we are investing in a new programme, Living Well: Emotional Support Matters, to protect and support the mental health and emotional wellbeing of people living with long term conditions.

It has long been known that living with long term conditions can, and often does, have a serious impact on people’s emotional health and wellbeing. This has been further exacerbated during the pandemic where people have lost access to self care mechanisms, experienced increased isolation and felt significant fear for both themselves and loved ones.

In August 2020, Mental Health Foundation’s longitudinal study (this link will take you away from our website) into the impact of the pandemic on people’s mental health found that 63% of people living with a long term condition were feeling anxious or worried due to COVID-19, compared to 49 percent of the general population.

The ALLIANCE’s own People at the Centre engagement activity also highlighted the disproportionate impact experienced by people living with long term conditions during the pandemic, as access to healthcare supports and self management practices  were disrupted and reduced.

As we learn to live with and recover from COVID-19, supporting the mental and emotional wellbeing of people living with long term conditions must be prioritised.

Therefore, together with Mental Health Foundation, we are launching Living Well: Emotional Support Matters; a programme which will invest in eight third sector organisations working with people living with long term conditions in Scotland and supporting their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

We are delighted to be working on this with SISG Enterprises Ltd, The Braveheart Association, Versus Arthritis, Diabetes Scotland, Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland, Waverley Care, Clan Cancer Support and MS Mid Argyll.

The voluntary sector has great relationships with communities and carries out incredible work, which has been particularly evident throughout the pandemic. The aim of Living Well: Emotional Support Matters is to support third sector organisations to continue to grow their ability and expertise as they deliver mental wellbeing supports for people living with long term conditions, whilst collecting and sharing the learning they generate.

To get in touch about Living Well: Emotional Support Matters, please email:

georgina.charlton@alliance-scotland.org.uk

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