Mental illness, like physical illness, covers a wide range of problems. This article outlines the help that is available and explains where to find this help.

How to get help
It is vital not to suffer in silence. If people are feeling down, experiencing significant mood changes, changes in their sleeping or eating habits, weight changes, or having suicidal thoughts they should talk to someone. This could be a member of the family, a close friend, a teacher or the school counsellor. There are also voluntary organizations that will be able to help or direct people to appropriate local services. (See list of organizations in the Reference/Resource File.)

If the problems don't improve then General Practitioners (GPs) are there for emotional needs as well as physical needs. Many, many people will go to their doctor for help with an emotional problem, so it is not something to feel embarrassed about. It is important to be as open as possible when explaining problems so that the right help can be identified.

Getting help from your GP
When people go to their GP they are entitled to:

have an interpreter if they have a problem communicating in English
take a relative or friend
have a say in every decision about their health and care.

What happens next?
Their GP may decide to treat them directly or may refer them to a specialist, such as a consultant psychiatrist. They may be put in touch with local agencies such as the Community Mental Health Team, social services and voluntary organizations (see 'Who's There to Help?' at the end of this article). But whoever helps, mental illness can be treated using 'talking treatments' (psychotherapy/counselling), medication, or a combination of both.

Talking treatments
Talking treatments are usually the first treatment to be offered to children and young people. They are beneficial across the whole spectrum of mental illness and there are a number of different approaches. In general, they aim to uncover underlying conflicts and tensions which may be causing problems and are provided by psychotherapists or psychologists. Counsellors are also useful to many people with mental health problems but their work has been less rigorously studied.

Medication
Prescribed drugs, including antidepressants, can be used to treat mental illness in children and young people. Some antidepressants are also useful in treating eating disorders. Talking treatments and some drugs take time to help so patience is needed to allow treatments to work.

Throughout treatment, people's problems need to be properly recognized so that the right care can be given. People should be encouraged to say as much as possible about what they are feeling.

Hospital treatment
Referral to hospital for in-patient care is an option if people are at risk to themselves or others. There are numerous checks in place to ensure that individual rights are protected.

Who's there to help?
For people suffering from mental health problems there is a range of people who are there to help.

Family doctors - General Practitioners (GPs)
A GP is likely to be the first medical person to approach about problems. They will be the main person responsible for care and may also decide whether referral for specialist treatment by other professionals will be of benefit. Some general practices have counsellors who can help. They may also be available in schools.

Clinical psychologists
Clinical psychologists encourage people to talk about their feelings and worries and try to understand why they feel the way they do. They may help people to work out a plan of action to enable them to understand the reasons for their problems and do something positive about them.

Psychiatrists
Psychiatrists are specially trained to diagnose mental illness and decide what sort of treatment is appropriate. They are trained as doctors first and may also be skilled in various forms of psychotherapies. They work closely with other professionals to whom you may be referred.

Social workers
Social workers can provide care and help to deal with the problems of everyday living as well as problems within families. Specialist mental health social workers are also caller Approved Social Workers (or ASWs).

Community mental health nurses
They are Registered Mental Health Nurses, which means they have experience of working in hospitals as well as in the community. They can administer medication or injections as well as provide long-term support. Some of them have specialist skills in talking treatments.

Named nurses
In hospital a patient will be allocated a named nurse who is usually a qualified mental health nurse.

Occupational therapists
These staff are trained to help people develop the confidence and skills they need to live independently. They may also use various creative activities such as art, dance or music to help people release tension and express themselves.

Community Mental Health Team (CMHT)
These are groups of professionals, who are responsible for caring for, helping and treating people in the community. The team may include a mixture of the people described above. The Community Mental Health Team can help to coordinate appropriate sources of help, including housing and benefits and the community welfare office.

Voluntary groups
Working alongside all these services are a large number of locally based voluntary groups which provide care and support for all people with mental illness.