Mental Health Resources

Mental health challenges are often a hidden aspect of living with sickle cell disease (SCD), affecting a large portion of the community. Studies show that people with SCD are significantly more likely to experience depression, anxiety, and chronic stress due to frequent hospital visits, pain episodes, and social stigma. It’s estimated that up to 29% of children and 36% of adults with SCD struggle with depression, with anxiety being a similarly common concern.

These issues not only impact individuals but also resonate through families and communities, influencing quality of life, relationships, and overall well-being. Recognizing symptoms of mental health distress—such as persistent sadness, loss of interest, difficulty sleeping, or feelings of isolation—is a crucial first step. If you or someone you know is struggling, there is help available. Resources, including therapy, support groups, and counseling services, can provide understanding and practical support. Reaching out is a sign of strength, and you’re not alone—help is here for every step of the journey.

Get urgent help now for mental health

Feelings, symptoms and behaviours

Read about feelings and symptoms related to mental health problems, including:

• feelings and symptoms that can affect everyday life
• feelings and symptoms caused by life events
• feelings and symptoms in younger and older people 

Read about behaviours related to mental health problems, including:

• understanding and getting help for mental health behaviours
• understanding behaviours in young people

 

Find your little big thing for your mental health

There are little things we can all do to lift our mood or ease our anxiety – we need to find what works for us.

This could be as simple as taking a walk in nature, prioritising your sleep or opening up to a friend. Your little thing, if you keep doing it, will make a big difference to how you feel.

• Create your own free mind plan
• Sign up for anxiety-easing emails
• Get sleep tips sent to your inbox

 

Self-help CBT techniques

Learn about CBT, watch video guides and try techniques to deal with worries, solve problems and boost your mental wellbeing

• Reframing unhelpful thoughts
• Tackling your worries
• Problem solving
• Bouncing back from life's challenges
• All self-help CBT techniques

 

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression you can experience during certain times of the year. Learn about the causes, treatment options, and self-care.

What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that you experience during particular seasons or times of year. Depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, and affects your everyday life.

If you have SAD, you'll experience depression during some seasons in particular, or because of certain types of weather or temperature. You can experience it in winter or summer.

It's like having your own portable black cloud.

It's common to be affected by changing seasons and weather, or to have times of year when you feel more or less comfortable. For example, you might find that your mood or energy levels drop when it gets colder or warmer, or notice changes in your sleeping or eating patterns.

But if your feelings are interfering with your everyday life, it could be a sign that you have depression. And if they keep coming back at the same time of year, doctors might call this seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or 'seasonal depression'.

Dealing with loneliness

Loneliness. It's a part of life. Let's talk about it.

We're all affected by loneliness at times in our lives. We can feel lonely in a busy city or rural location, on social media or spending time on our own or with others. Try not to feel embarrassed or ashamed if you do.

Sometimes admitting we feel lonely can be hard. It’s important to remember that lots of people experience similar feelings of loneliness, and that they can pass.

Understanding our own reasons for feeling lonely can help identify and manage these feelings.

Find out about possible signs of loneliness, reasons we feel lonely and ways to manage it. There are also links to more support if you or someone else needs it.

Tips on dealing with loneliness:

If you are feeling lonely, or know someone else who is, there are plenty of simple, affordable actions you can take.

1. Keep in touch with people
2. Join a group
3. Do things you enjoy
4. Share your feelings
5. Connect with or volunteer to help
6. Invite someone along to activities near you

 

Social care, mental health and your rights

Find information about social care support, how to access mental health and physical health assessments, and your rights under the law.

Mental health and the law

Find out about how the law affects your mental health rights, including:

• how the law can help mental health care
• sectioning and detainment
• mental health capacity and consent

Getting help from social care

Get information about how social care can support mental health, including:

• how to receive social care
• information on different types of social care
• benefits of social care

How to access mental health services

Find out how you can get mental health support through the NHS, including:

• how mental health referrals work
• your right to choose who helps you
• waiting times for appointments

Mental health assessments

Find out how mental health assessments work, including:

• your rights and choices
• how to get a second opinion
• what to do if a service or treatment is not working for you

 

Mental health services

NHS therapy and counselling services

NHS talking therapies services are for people in England aged 18 or over. You can speak to your GP about talking therapies or get in touch with the talking therapies service directly without going to your GP. Talking therapies can treat conditions like:

• depression
• generalised anxiety
• social anxiety
• panic and agoraphobia
• other phobias
• obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  body dysmorphic disorder

Get NHS therapy and counselling

 

How to find local mental health services

You can choose who to contact in your area to learn more about the help you can get.

You might want to contact more than one of these places to find out about all the adult mental health services that are available.

• Your GP surgery
  
• Local councils
  
• Local pharmacies
  
• Therapy and counselling from the NHS

Find local mental health charities
You can visit Hub of Hope to search for mental health charities where you live. It's run by a national charity called Chasing the Stigma.

Mental health services for children and young people
Find out what help you can get if you're a child or young person who needs support with their mental health

Find care for your mental health before, during and after pregnancy
Find out how to get help for your mental health before, during and after pregnancy.

Or for information about things you can do yourself, and symptoms to look out for, find out more about mental health during pregnancy.