Poor mental health is a growing concern in the UK. So how can we, as a walking and climbing community, help to improve mental health through our activities? Do we have enough knowledge of mental health issues and how to tackle them to help support our family, friends and colleagues? How do we start a conversation with someone that we suspect is struggling with their mental health?

Statistics from the 2014 APMS (Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey) have highlighted that “every week, one in six adults will experience symptoms of a common mental health problem”. Startlingly, the survey also highlights that “one in five adults has considered taking their own life at some point”. It’s a fair assumption that, based on these facts, many of the people reading this article will have had their lives affected by mental health issues; either directly, or indirectly through family and friends.

The good news, if it can be seen as good, is that as a society we’re now being better informed about mental health. Numerous organisations are working hard, locally and nationally, to de-stigmatise and raise awareness of mental health issues. The challenge of promoting better mental health is being taken up by many employers and businesses. There is now a significant body of research and practice setting out ways to improve mental health and emotional well-being.

The role of sport and recreation in improving mental health is increasingly clear (see https://www.sportandrecreation.org.uk/pages/gol-mental-health). Significantly, many of the mental health organisations are citing “green exercise” as a means of improving mental health. The effects of outdoor activities can include stress reduction, improved mood, improved self-esteem and improved health and general well-being. I’m sure that we all appreciate the same benefits when we’re out camping, climbing, or just being in the mountains. There have been a number of articles written relating to mental health and the outdoors, such as this excellent one by Natalie Berry at UK Climbing:

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/mental_health_and_climbing-7264

I’m sure that we all appreciate the same benefits when we’re out camping, climbing, or in the mountains. It gets us way from the grindstone and the day-to-day activities that cause us frustration and stress. The liberation from the hustle and bustle of traffic, or freedom from the instant connection to technology that we can’t live without – despite coping without it for so well these last 11,000 years or so. We learn to relax and, even if only for a short while, we find ourselves again (as discussed in Jules Pretty’s “Manifesto for the Green Mind” - http://www.julespretty.com/manifesto-for-the-green-mind/).

For some people, taking on a mountain, or finally leading that a trad route, is a competitive thing. It’s something to strive towards as we challenge ourselves to improve skills and experience. For others, these same activities can have more of a spiritual meaning; simply getting out in the clean air and listening to genuine birdsong rather than the soft coo-ing of pigeons. Whatever reason we each have for getting out, it’s something that we love, and something that we love sharing with others. Humans are hardwired to live a more outdoor lifestyle than we currently have and we have evolved to live in nature rather than stressful urban environments.

So what can we, as the BMC community, do? There are a number of simple steps that we can take to identify and support people suffering from poor mental health:

We can actively promote and share our outdoor experiences, and the associated health benefits, through social media.
We can share and advertise mental health campaign groups / initiatives that promote the benefits of outdoor activity, such as Black Dog Outdoors www.blackdogoutdoors.co.uk
We can encourage people to try out climbing groups aimed specifically at those suffering with poor mental health, such as Climbing Alongside Suicide and Mental Health (C/A/S/M) www.casm.cc
We can volunteer to support organised events, such as fell walks, that are aimed at groups and individuals with poor mental health and those that have limited opportunities/access to green space.
We can familiarise ourselves with mental health support groups, such as MIND (www.mind.org.uk ), and how to put people in contact with them.
We can improve our basic understanding of mental health issues and symptoms. An example of this is depression, which has warning signs that can include low self-esteem, hopelessness and insomnia.
For those that want to take it a step further there are even formal Mental Health First Aid qualification courses, such as those delivered by MHFA England (www.mhfaengland.org).

The most important thing we can do, however, is to encourage friends, family and colleagues to join us on a day out if we suspect that they are struggling with their mental health.

As a community we all have a love of the mountains and appreciate the benefits of a day spent outdoors. With little effort we can use our shared passion to promote better mental health, as well as physical well-being.

We can make a difference.

BMC and other associated links at base of article……

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/mental-health-charter-signed-by-bmc

https://www.thebmc.co.uk/climbing-out-of-depression-jakes-story

https://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/features/bouldering_as_treatment_for_depression_-_a_study-9472

https://www.nhs.uk/news/mental-health/green-exercise-and-mental-health/

https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2017/time-to-talk-day-canoeing-and-mental-health

https://www.samaritans.org/

Youth Outdoor Climbing Courses

Whether you want to make the leap from indoor climbing into Sport or Trad climbing outdoors, we run many courses across the country and throughout the year that are specially for 11-17 year olds.

BOOK: Youth Trad Climbing Course

BOOK: Youth Sport Climbing Course

Subsidised Youth Course Places

There are a large number of free places on courses for families who may struggle to afford it. Any families who live in rented accommodation and who receive income support or universal credit may contact the instructor of a course or Alex West for a place.