Thousands of Dundee workers are being offered lifeline mental health support after new research revealed the impact of the pandemic on them.
Researchers interviewed frontline workers in the city late last month – spanning health, social care, public transport, food and supply sectors and retail including supermarkets.
Despite restrictions starting to ease, a huge 97% of frontline workers interviewed across all sectors in the city said their mental wellbeing had declined.
The survey for SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) has led to the launch of a new, free support service offering immediate help to those struggling.
The research found amongst frontline workers interviewed:
- People aged 25-34 felt most overwhelmed by the pandemic.
- Barriers to support included not feeling their problems were big enough (47%), cost (33%) and waiting times (30%).
Now, burnt out workers from bus drivers to food workers and social care staff will be able to access Time for You – a new, free service which offers immediate access to three different levels of mental health support.
The much-needed online and virtual mental health support service includes self-help resources and talking therapies, like cognitive behavioural therapy with trainee psychologists.
Fiona Benton, Assistant Director of Delivery and Development at SAMH, said: “It’s extremely worrying to discover so many are struggling.
“While carrying out some of the most important jobs to keep our local communities going, many frontline workers have experienced high levels of anxiety and stress, not to mention the worry for the safety of themselves, their loved ones, and people they help within their roles.
“It has never been more important that frontline workers get the mental health support they need and deserve.
“We hope Time for You will be a valuable resource for many people. We urge anyone who is struggling to reach out and take the first step – it’s OK to not be OK.”
Time for You, provided by SAMH, Living Life to the Full and the Glasgow Caledonian University, is open to all frontline workers across Scotland and anyone working in the transport, logistics, food manufacturing and supply, health and social care industries is eligible.
• Visit the SAMH website, follow @SAMHTweets, SAMHmentalhealth on Facebook and samhscotland on Instagram for more info.