Togetherall mental health community grows in Orkney

In the past 18 months, 60 people in Orkney have engaged with the online mental health community, Togetherall.

The vast majority who used the digital platform from the county were students aged between 16-24 and issues most commonly raised included stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness.

Orkney Islands Council commissioned Togetherall in August 2021 to be able to offer the service free to those aged 16-19, however this was further expanded to 16-31 year olds in 2022.

Previously, senior students at Kirkwall Grammar School and Stromness Academy have received awareness sessions and the Council are keen to raise awareness of Togetherall, which is free to the expanded age group to join and completely confidential.

It offers a 24/7 platform for peer to peer online conversations and sharing of information. Members join anonymously for support with a wide range of mental health and wellbeing issues.

In addition to the community, members have the safety and accessibility of the Togetherall ‘Wall Guides’ who are all trained mental health professionals and are there to make sure everyone remains safe and supported. They are available 24/7/365.

Cathy Lyner, the Council’s Principal Educational Psychologist, said: “We continue to encourage people to make use of this anonymous platform if you are experiencing difficult feelings of any kind.

“We have been able to ascertain that of the 60 who have made use of the platform, more than half identified as female, but 27% said they were male – a higher than average percentage in national terms - so it’s good to know that men in Orkney are starting those conversations, which can only be a good thing.

“Feelings such as loneliness and hopelessness can potentially lead to more serious mental health conditions including, anxiety, depression and psychosis. Without the correct interventions, these conditions can have a significant negative effect on life outcomes over time and in the past decade, have become interconnected with a rise in poverty and homelessness.

“Young adults, students, single parents, and people who are unemployed are particularly impacted, and this has led authorities and education departments to think beyond traditional healthcare provisions.

“Through Togetherall, the anonymised member usage data has enabled our service to understand that feeling lonely or hopeless does not always mean the person requires specialised treatment. In fact, just having someone else to share thoughts and feelings with, can help to prevent an exacerbation of difficult feelings.”

Togetherall supports immediate and longer-term mental health or situational distress, enabling members to feel more in control of their emotional health. The philosophy of early intervention aims to improve the mental wellbeing of members, providing them with the necessary tools and resources to manage their own journey to improving their mental health.

Togetherall exists to provide a solution to support some of the current problems with the current model of MH support:

• accessibility – long waiting lists – prevents people accessing support or people deteriorating whilst waiting;
• stigma – in response to a lack of safe spaces for people to open up online without fear of stigma or judgement;
• lack of choice – sometimes people just need a helping hand to get back on track – and to realise that they are not alone. 1 in 3 hadn’t sought support before coming to Togetherall.

For further information contact Togetherall’s Roisin Lynch Roisin.Lynch@togetherall.com