What we do

The Foundation for Positive Mental Health promotes skills training for positive mental health, to enhance wellbeing, increase resilience to, and recovery from, mental health difficulties. We achieve this through explaining emotional distress; increasing access to techniques and skills, e.g. the Positive Mental Training programme, and supporting research.

We run training workshops, attend conferences, lobby politicians and medical organisations, and generally seek to raise the profile of positive thinking and mind body influences on health and wellbeing. We worked as consultants with the Scottish Government to produce their mental health campaign website www.stepsforstress.org/  we provided materials for their booklet and videos, and recorded the relaxation videos.    We have been working with the NHS for over 8 years principally training primary care professionals in how to treat their depressed, anxious and stressed patients with the self-help psychological programme Positive Mental Training. This approach has a number of advantages – the patient has access to immediate evidence based psychological therapy through their trusted primary care professional (usually their GP), the programme is audio, therefore very accessible, no reading required, it is non- stigmatising as draws on sports psychology and can be listened to when the patient wants – i.e. fits into their live. Since we started we have also learnt that many health staff also use the programme to manage their own stress and help protect against burnout. We have developed materials and courses to support NHS staff, particularly foundation year doctors and medical students.

Positive Mental Training in the NHS

• Positive Mental Training has been established for use in depression and anxiety in Edinburgh NHS for over 8 years where it is recommended as part of stepped care in the city of Edinburgh, (see RefHelp ). The programme is also in use in various other areas across the UK in primary care and wellbeing.

• Positive Mental Training is guided self help delivered through trained existing primary care staff, eg GPs, CPNs, psychologists, nurses, and other mental health agencies, including 3^rd sector.

• Training consists of 2 half days or one whole day to facilitate understanding and engagement with clients/patients. Over 1000 health professionals have been trained.

• Delivery requires no extra time outwith usual practice.