Welcome to The Wellness Motion

Hey, welcome! We’ve just launched!

TWM website launched in January 2020, and our first features bringing accessible, informed and honest information on mental health and wellbeing are now live.

We’re sharing fresh new features regularly, so there’s always something interesting to learn and enjoy.

If you like what you read follow us on social media and you’ll always be up to date with the conversation.

The Wellness Motion is:

Designed by young people, for young people

Because everybody has mental health

Fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness

Sharing a variety of perspectives including the voices of young people, academics, healthcare professionals and inspiring individuals

Why ‘young people’?

We’ve read the stats about young people and mental health. Some of us have been the stats or have loved ones that are the stats.

We weren’t born to be stats.

Let’s speak up and help each-other. Young people are the world’s future, so join the motion.

TWM STATEMENT ON BLACK LIVES MATTER, JUNE 2020

Things have been a bit quiet recently on TWM website and social media. I just wanted to say hello again, and let you know why. We’ve paused some of our planned out-going content for the time being, as the world takes stock of several simultaneous global catastrophes. I personally (Poppy), have been trying to listen more and talk less. Trying to do the work and not just engage in optical allyship. I know that not being racist is not enough. We need to be anti-racist, and I’m thinking about this from a personal standpoint, as well as thinking about how we can actively involve anti-rascism into our long-term strategy for TWM. I know that I, as a white person, will never fully understand, but I am vowing to keep reading, keep listening and keep learning from the plethora of black voices that are speaking loud and clear and have been doing so for such a very, very long time. To those who have been trying to get others to listen and understand, and to realise that it is all of our responsibilities to do this work. I also acknowledge that as part of TWM’s mission, we need to include anti-racism, amplify awareness about systemic racism and inequalities in parts of our society including the healthcare systems and criminal justice system, which affect Black and minority ethnic people’s mental health and physical health both directly and indirectly, and do more to promote this discussion and dismantle the systems that perpetuate discrimination.

Research is showing that people who experience racism may be more likely to experience mental ill-health, including a diagnosis of clinical depression or psychosis. (Mental Health Foundation, linked below). Black and minority ethnic people also experience increased barriers to accessing mental health support, and once in treatment are more likely to be prescribed medication and less likely to be referred to talking therapies than white patients, for example (Racial disparities in mental health: Literature and evidence review, Race Equality Foundation (2019)).

These are just a few of many, many findings. We have such a long way to go. Here at TWM we will be making sure that going forward our features and resources have equality, accessibility and anti-rascism at their core. Right now, we will continue to educate ourselves, reflect, deconstruct and advocate for change and Black Lives Matter.

There are so many resources available right now, and I am in no way qualified to be sharing any ‘definitive list’ of essential reading materials. However, I’d would like to raise attention in particular to the Mental Health Foundation’s page with links to academic studies and statistics on the topic of Black and minority ethnic people’s mental health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/b/black-asian-and-minority-ethnic-bame-communities and to the publication (available in full online), Racial disparities in mental health: Literature and evidence review published by the Race Equality Foundation (2019): https://raceequalityfoundation.org.uk/health-care/mental-health-report-published/

I’d also like to raise awareness of the amazing organisation Black Minds Matter who provide Black mental health resources and therapy for Black Trauma. Please reach out to access their materials and support for Black and minority ethnic people including accessing therapy from a Black therapist if you would find this useful, or support them if you are able to do so through spreading awareness or donating online.

We will be back in the near future with more social-media and website content on The Wellness Motion, and will continue to spread awareness and experience stories about mental health, with a specific focus on young people. But it was time for some quietude and listening, and we will continue to listen and learn and include the messages of this vitally important movement in our work. Keep tuned in and keep having the important conversations.