If you are worried about someone's mental health
If you are worried about someone’s mental health (a family member, friend or other) we understand that it can feel quite worrying and you can feel helpless and not know what to do. There are a number of things that you can do to seek help for someone you’re worried about. You can try to get them to get help from/talk to their GP:
- If they do not want to see a GP you can try to ask for help yourself by contacting the GP or Mindline Emotional Support and Mental Health Helpline on 01823 276 892 or free phone 0800 138 1692. This service can refer you your local Home Treatment Team.
- If you feel someone is imminently at risk to themselves or others due to a mental health crisis, please contact the First Response Service on 0300 1245016.
- You can let the person know that they can self-refer to our Talking Therapies service
- If they don’t initially want support/advice from the mental health services you can encourage them to contact one or more of the following organisations.
- You can also contact Mindline 01823 276 892 or free phone 0800 138 1692 yourself to ask for advice.
Here are some additional links for useful information and resources when you are supporting someone who may be suicidal:
Advice about getting help in a crisis
What to do if you are worried about someone
These websites lead you through steps you can take when you are worried about someone.
Mindcharity.co.uk – (https://www.mindcharity.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/How-to-support-someone-who-is-suicidal.pdf)
Starting the conversation
Many people find it really hard to start a conversation about suicidal thoughts and self harm and worry that this will make things worse. It is a myth that asking might put the thought in someone’s mind, but any people worry about this.
This website has a number of useful brief training videos (up to 30 minutes) which may help you feel more confident to ask someone if they are feeling suicidal.
After a crisis – if someone you are close to has made a suicide attempt
Sometimes the first you might know about someone having suicidal thoughts is after they have made a suicide attempt. Here is a resource developed in Australia for people who are trying to support someone after a suicide attempt, and to cope with their own feelings about what has happened.
Getting help for you
It is also very important to look after your own mental health, so please also seek support/advice for yourself if needed. If you are a carer for someone with a mental illness known to Somerset Foundation Trust Mental Health Services you can refer yourself to the Carers assessment service to request an assessment 07774 207458, alternatively you can access support from Somerset Carers village agents 0800 31 68 600, which is your right under the section 10 of the Care Act 2014 (if the person you care for is an adult aged 18 or over).
For more advice on what to do if you’re concerned about someone’s mental health, you may find the following link helpful to order free download publications: