How do professionals help with mental health

Mental health can often feel like a very lonely and individual issue. As it isn’t a physical illness with clear and obvious symptoms to most people like a cold or flu might be, it can be difficult for a person to vocalise and express their emotions and experiences. In the beginning, it might seem like a few tough days or a bad period of time for a person. But this can lead to a person isolating themselves, especially if they are dealing with depression or anxiety.

This can then lead to symptoms worsening meaning advice and support from those closest to a person might not be enough. They may now need professional mental health support to help with issues they may be experiencing. The issue with this is, many people do not know where they can go to receive professional mental health support and how they support them. We wanted to provide a breakdown and understanding of how to seek professional mental health and how different options can aid different issues.

Types of mental health professionals

There are a variety of types of mental health support and professionals who practice specific support who cater to a specific need. Some are more general; some are in roles that might suit a person's specific needs. Here are a few of the different types as well as how they operate.

Your doctor (GP)

In the same way a person might go to your general practitioner for a physical health issue they may be concerned with, a person can and should do the same for a mental health concern. A GP can make an assessment based on symptoms to provide a diagnosis, offer support (whether it be talking therapies or medication), suggest local support networks and even refer a person to specialist support if necessary.

Community mental health teams

For specialist mental health support, typically for complex long-term care, Community Mental Health Teams (commonly referred to as CMHTs) can provide the necessary support. Typically, a person will be referred to a CMHT by a GP after initial assessment and it is determined that a mental health issue requires specialist care. These teams will care for people in the community who struggle with long-term mental health issues or need support that a GP cannot typically provide due to specialist needs.

Key workers

Professionals who provide specific, tailored support to people whose mental health needs are more complex and need dedicated, personal attention. They act as a single and defined point of contact for individuals to provide necessary care and support to achieve personal goals. This might be working with the individual, any loved ones, other professionals the individual is in contact with to personalise and specify support plans, whether that be for health issues, financial troubles, emotional or social needs.

Community mental health nurses

Working across a variety of locations including in people’s homes if needs be, community mental health nurses are registered to support individuals. They can be found visiting people’s homes or in local clinics and community centres. Much like key workers, the role has a focus on building relationships with people who require mental health support, their relatives and carers if necessary. As well as helping individuals with possible medication requirements and other factors, CMHNs are trained to identify whether a person is at risk to themselves or others and assisting as necessary.

Community mental health pharmacists

In support and collaboration with CMHTs and CMHNs, Community Mental Health Pharmacist roles are focused on ensuring people in the community who struggle with complex mental health issues are receiving the best suited medication possible. They ensure the delivery of mental health medication in communities meets national standards and that the medication prescribed to those who need it has the maximum benefits and minimal risk.

Counsellors

Someone who has been to see a GP to assist with a mental health issue might be referred to a menta health counsellor for effective psychotherapy and psychological support. Typically, people in this day and age might be referred to a talking therapy, which may be in-person, via live-chat, phone or even video call.

They will listen to a person’s problems without judgement and gain a greater understanding of what advice and solutions would be best suited to a scenario. An example of the type of talking therapy that might be practiced by a counsellor is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). Some might access counselling via a GP referral; others may seek private counselling and some who have access to an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) might access counselling through this method.

Health visitors

Operating in a more specific role, health visitors are focused on supporting parents with their mental health, before and after childbirth. Often, they will specifically deal with and focus on issues of perinatal and postnatal depression. This is to ensure that the mental health of parents is supported throughout the process of raising a newborn and are thus able to provide adequate care to children.

As well as this, health visitors will also conduct clinical interventions for caregivers and children (typically infants) to assess the relationship and ensure the best care is delivered to care givers and prevent mental health issues spiralling due to an early fractured relationship.

Psychiatrists

Qualified with approximately 5-6 years training as a doctor in medicine and surgery before progressing to 6 years of further training in supporting people with psychological and mental health problems, psychiatrists are well equipped to support those struggling. Working alongside other health professionals including community mental health teams, nurses, occupational health professionals, etc, psychiatrists can assess a person’s specific mental health needs and decide how best to manage them. With an extensive understanding of mental health challenges and different schools of psychology, psychiatrists can assess a person’s mind state, diagnose a condition and prescribe treatments.

These treatments might be prescribing medication, using different psychological treatments and helping them overcome different issues that may be historic, based on medical conditions and so on. Many will be trained to specialise in providing treatment to different groups of people, including children. In the case of hospital admissions and admitting someone against their will due to a fear they may be a threat to themselves or others, they will need the approval of a social worker who understands the case as well as a doctor. Much like most other mental health services and contacting professionals in the field, a GP will first refer a person for an assessment with an occupational therapist who will decide if you require a psychiatrist and pair a person appropriately.

Psychologists

The primary difference between psychiatrists and psychologists is that the former are medically qualified to handle and identify mental health issues as well as having the ability to prescribe medication and professional treatment. Psychologists do have some overlap, but they focus on studying people’s behaviours, thoughts and feelings, and how these manifest into interactions and reactions to different situations.

Psychologists will very rarely if ever deal with patients and referrals. They deal less with long-term patients and specialised cases. They are primarily focused on the everyday function of the human mind and evaluating typical psychological development to provide appropriate counselling.

You may find psychologists and counsellors using talking therapies to overcome common mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and in certain cases, trauma. Using research and evidence-based techniques, they will aid those in their care to overcome challenges in their lives and improve elements they are dissatisfied with.

Social workers

Social workers are a vital support network for those suffering poor or severe mental health conditions. The focus on a lot of the additional resources people struggling with their mental health need in order to better manage and overcome the associated challenges. They assess housing needs, employment situations, a person’s rights and assist a people who are struggling and their families in navigating health systems and getting the support they need.

Specialist coaches

With a greater focus on goal-based development, trained mental health specialist coaches help individuals manage stress and build resilience to stay fixated on achieving personal goals. They accomplish this by helping individuals focus on the present moment using this to evaluate how they will reach future goals by establishing strategies and action plans to overcome common challenges such as low confidence, mood, anxiety, etc.

Used as a complimentary technique to counselling, it helps reframe an individual’s negative thoughts as positive ones for more effective coping and life skills. This may involve focusing on things such as diet and physical wellbeing to improve overall wellbeing.

Approved social workers

As a branch of mental health social workers, Approved Social Workers make up 95% of Approved Mental Health Professionals. Having many of the same job duties as mental health social workers, they receive more specific and specialised training to carry out tasks under the Mental Health Order 1986 and Mental Health Act 2007.

In some cases where a person is dealing with severe mental health issues and may be a risk to themselves and others, recommend a compulsory hospital stay. Before this however, they will review suitable community options to provide care to the person in care.

Pastoral counselling

For those who come from a particular religious background, they may need a mental healthcare professional who can adhere to and incorporate religious beliefs into the care being administered. Someone’s religious background could play a huge part in how responsive they are to certain forms of treatment; therefore pastoral counselling offers a form of counselling that focuses on spiritual wellbeing along with mental health. Using scripture and teachings, it can offer a person a framework to participate in the community, follow a guideline to achieve their goals and improve their overall wellbeing.

How an Employee Assistance Programme can help

Using HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), users are able to access 24/7 clinically approved and accredited counselling to improve their mental wellbeing. Covering a range of topics, whether it be for general mental health and through the use of goal-oriented talking therapies, CCBT and specialised counselling services regarding financial and legal advice and more, our counsellors are fully equipped as trained professionals to support an individual’s mental health. Even in the most severe cases, where specialised services and support are required, our team of counsellors can refer and signpost an individual to the correct support they need.

Conclusion

It can feel as though there is a lack of support and resources regarding mental health, especially as cases become more specialised and pressing. However, there are a host of services that people in need can access, it is just a case of knowing what you need and taking the first step to seek help.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to access professional mental health support

To access mental health support, it is recommended that you either contact your GP to book an appointment, call 111 for information and advice, or in a critical situation, call 999, visit A&E or call The Samaritans (or another appropriate crisis service). If you are seeking general assistance with your mental health from a professional, your GP can refer or signpost you to support, you can complete a self-referral to connect with talking therapies or you can research local options.

If you have access to HA | Wisdom Wellbeing’s EAP service, you can also connect with a counsellor for mental wellbeing support 24/7, 365-days a year.

What professional mental health suits me best?

To understand which type of mental health professional would be best to connect with, it is best you are first referred to a GP or a professional who can make a wellbeing assessment and recommend the necessary services.

What professional support should I seek if I’m worried about another person’s mental wellbeing?

If a loved one or someone close to is struggling with their mental health, you can accompany them to a GP appointment to support them and see what support can be offered. Another option is speaking to Community Mental Health Teams and Support Workers for additional support and guidance.