Mental health support organisations and resources
Below is a range of mental health and well-being organisations. This is not a complete list, but it can help get you started.
Some of the organisations are national, and others have centres in local areas. You can find details of this on the organisation’s website.
General mental health
Adferiad is a leading Welsh charity dedicated to improving the lives of people with a mental illness or physical disability and their carers.
Telephone: 01792 816 600/832 400
Provides information on dementia, including factsheets and helplines.
Telephone: 0300 222 1122
A charity providing support for anyone experiencing anxiety.
Telephone: 03444 775 774
A charity helping people living with bipolar disorder.
A confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16, feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Helpline: 0800 83 85 87
CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably. They offer support to anyone with a mental health problem. They have information on suicide prevention and general mental health information.
Telephone: 0800 58 58 58
Provides support for people with mental illness, as well as their family members and friends. They have a national helpline as well and help improve the mental wellbeing of people living in rural areas.
Information line: 0300 323 1545
Clic is a free online community to support everyone with their mental health. It is managed by Mental Health UK.
Cruse provides bereavement counselling. It offers help, support and information to anyone facing bereavement or who has been bereaved. It has a network of local branches throughout the UK.
Helpline: 0808 808 1677
Provides free, reliable information about health issues including mental health, by sharing people's real-life experiences.
Being creative is a good way to support your mental wellbeing while dealing with cancer. It can help you to express difficult emotions and distract you from anxiety and distress.
Hospital Rooms is a charity that brings art and creative programmes to mental health hospitals in the UK. They have an online (digital) art school that offers a free arts programme. Artists lead monthly workshops and help you use creativity to improve your mental wellbeing. The workshops are available to watch live or on-demand. You don’t need any experience to do it.
A crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress or despair in Northern Ireland.
Helpline: 0800 808 8000
Provides information on a variety of topics on men’s health, including information on beating stress and drinking alcohol.
Provides information on mental health problems.
The passport can help you if you are struggling with your mental health and have cancer. You can share important information about you, your cancer diagnosis and treatment with your healthcare team and support networks. This helps you to cope with attending appointments and treatment. It also gives you some practical support and comfort during your cancer experience.
If you live in the above areas, you can download the passport through the link below. For any questions about the passport, you can email Mind in Middlesbrough and Stockton.
Provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. They campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding of mental health.
Infoline: 0300 123 3393
Legal line: 0300 466 6463
A central resource for a variety of information services on mental health in Northern Ireland.
MindWise work with and for people of all ages directly affected by mental health issues. It also includes families, carers, employers and teachers. They also provide information on mental health.
A website giving guidance on NHS mental health services and where to get urgent help. It includes information on how to find local mental health services in your area.
If you live in England and are aged 18 or over, you can access NHS psychological therapies (IAPT) services.
The website provides several resources of support for people struggling with their mental health in Wales.
They offer appointment-based telephone support based on cognitive behavioural therapy. Please note this service is for people in Scotland.
Helpline: 0800 328 9655
A voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). They offer a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD.
Helpline: 0300 772 9844
They provide support for people with OCD.
Helpline: 0300 636 5478
A charity run by people with OCD, for people with OCD. Includes facts, news and treatments.
Helpline: 01332 588112
Young suicide prevention society.
Helpline: HOPElineUK 0800 068 4141
Support and advice for people living with mental illness.
Telephone: 0808 801 0525
They provide a non-judgemental listening service for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.
Telephone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)
They provide emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers.
Helpline: 0300 304 7000
Email: support@sane.org.uk
Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/textcare
Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum
Welldoing.org has a directory of verified therapists and counsellors in the UK and offers a paid therapist-matching service. The website also has a postcode search function to help you find a therapist in your area, and information on mental health, self development, and wellbeing.
Email: info@welldoing.org
Addiction
A free self-help group. Its 12-step programme involves getting sober with the help of regular face-to-face and online support groups.
Telephone: 0800 917 7650 (24-hour helpline)
Al-Anon is a free self-help 12-step group for anyone whose life is or has been affected by someone else’s drinking.
Helpline: 0800 0086 811
SMART Recovery UK face-to-face and online groups help people decide whether they have a problem with alcohol and drugs, build up their motivation to change, and offer a set of proven tools and techniques to support recovery.
Telephone: 0330 053 6022
Abuse and domestic violence
Rape Crisis England and Wales is a charity working to end sexual violence and abuse.
Helpline: 0808 802 9999
The website also has a Live Chat Helpline.
Advice on dealing with domestic violence.
Telephone: 0808 2000 247 (24-hour helpline)
Children and young people
The National Association for Children of Alcoholics offers free confidential advice and information to everyone affected by a parent’s drinking including children, adults and professionals.
Helpline: 0800 358 3456
A children’s charity dedicated to ending child abuse and child cruelty.
Helpline: 0800 1111 for Childline for children (24-hour helpline)
Helpline: 0808 800 5000 for adults concerned about a child (24-hour helpline)
They have information on child and adolescent mental health, as well as services for parents and professionals.
Parents’ helpline 0808 802 5544
General books about depression
This book is a concise and easy to understand way of learning about depression. It explains what depression is, the different types, helping yourself, treatment, medication, physical treatment, what to expect from your GP, women and depression, grief, and how family and friends can help.
Kwame McKenzie
Family Doctor Publications (in association with the British Medical Association), 2009
ISBN 978-1898205722
An American book with tips and techniques to help people recovering from cancer to recognise and overcome problems with depression and anxiety. The key to success is to keep focusing on engaging in enjoyable behaviours without getting bogged down by pain, frustration, and worry.
Derek R. Hopko and Carl W. Lejuez
New Harbinger Publications, 2008
ISBN 978 157224504-4
This practical and easily accessible book explains depression, outlines the common and not so common signs, looks briefly at some of the theories that have been put forward to explain it, and gives tools to help deal with it. The book also covers important issues for partners and families who live with a depressed person.
Tony Bates
Newleaf publishers, 1999
ISBN 978 0717128600
A guide for people suffering with depression. It explores the wide range of approaches to treatment available today, giving information about each one and looking at the information available to suggest that they work. The book summarises current thinking on the causes of depression and provides suggestions for self help. There are personal accounts of living with and overcoming depression as well as further resources.
Nancy Hine
Red Raft Publishing LLP, 2008
ISBN 978 0955782015
The information for the organisations listed above was up to date at the time of writing of this page. Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that this will stay so. Neither can we guarantee the quality of service you might receive from these organisations. If you’d like to give us feedback on the above organisations, please contact PatientInformation@cancer.org.uk
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