CROYDON COMMENTARY: Poverty is one of the key drivers of stress and anxiety. EMMA TURNER says that getting people back into work requires sensitive support
But that is very different to work being a magical cure for mental health problems. From much of the coverage, commentary and announcements from government in recent days, you could have been mistaken for thinking it is.
Every day the team at Mind in Croydon is working to support some of the more than 66,000 people with mental health problems in the borough to take the first right step for them. For some this will be full-time work, for some it will be part-time, for others volunteering or education might be what’s needed to best support them and their mental health.
But for some people, work, or even the prospect of it, can be so debilitating it can be as destructive as the very symptoms they are managing.
When it comes to work, good-quality work can provide many things: connecting with people, providing routine, stability, and a sense of purpose, and increasing income, which can help reduce one of the key drivers of people’s stress and anxiety: poverty.
But work has to be good quality and have the elements that will support someone’s mental health. An adequate, fair and steady income means people can plan ahead. Flexibility allows people to manage appointments, caring responsibilities and ensure work-life balance. Predictability and job security with regular hours and employment protections. Too often, people with mental health problems are trapped in low-paid and insecure work – which is not conducive to improving people’s lives.
In many ways, the support people need in work is the same as that which helps them take those first steps. They need to feel respected, enabled, and supported. While yesterday’s announcement included measures designed to help people try work without losing benefits and some positive changes regarding people with the most severe disabilities not needing to face reassessment, some of the cuts will push people into deeper hardship, worsen their physical and mental health, and distance them further from the world of work.
We are at the heart of our community, and we know what works.
We also know that for the people we help, the route back to work and engaging with the DWP and Jobcentre Plus buildings can be intimidating and scary. We treat people as individuals and work with them to get better outcomes.
Right now, people need this more than ever.
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