This year, Mental Health Awareness Week will run from 9 to 15 May. This annual event is hosted by the Mental Health Foundation. It focuses on improving good mental health across the nation.

This year’s theme will explore the impact of loneliness and how we can tackle it. Recent research by the Mental Health Foundation showed that many people have increasingly been suffering from feelings of isolation and loneliness, which has led to harmful consequences. They also discovered an increased demand from the public to see loneliness being addressed as a serious topic requiring urgent action.

Given the theme of loneliness, the NHS Better Health – Every Mind Matters campaign encourages people to ‘Lift someone out of loneliness’ and provides advice for ways to help yourself or others who may be feeling lonely, as well as suggested support routes.