News / mental health
A Bristol state of mind
Bristol has one of the highest suicide rates in the UK.
It has the third highest suicide rate of the Core Cities and from 2021 to 2023 had a suicide or injury of undetermined intent rate of 12.9 per 100,000 people compared to the England average of 10.7 per 100,000.
Following an event at Triodos Bank in September 202, which asked Bristol-based healthcare providers, businesses and policy-makers ‘Who is responsible for our mental health?’, Bristol will now be the pilot city for One Question’s first ‘place-based mental health initiative’.
The initiative will test mental health initiatives tailored to the city and see if they adequately meet the needs of communities here.
One Question is a business, founded in 2016, which ‘believes questions are more important than answers’.
They regularly host events and panel discussions where they attempt to tackle problems by asking questions.
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One Question’s three-year pilot project in Bristol, called ‘Bristol State of Mind’, went live on March 28.
The first stage of the project calls for people and businesses in Bristol to go to the One Question website and answer the question ‘What helps keep you happy?’.
Their answers will then be used to inform the next stage of the project.
The hope is that, after the Bristol State of Mind project is completed, its results will be used to inform similar projects in different cities across the UK.
Sarah Parsonage, the founder of One Question (who grew up and is based in Bristol), said: “There is no one answer to understanding or preventing poor mental health and nor is it the responsibility of any one organisation, institution or individual.
“There needs to be a collective approach that joins the dots between our education system, the NHS, our businesses and our communities.
“Unless we can address the numerous challenges together, we will continue to cause the problem at one end of the spectrum, whilst trying to fix it at the other. Our ultimate goal is to reduce reliance on NHS services by helping people understand what keeps them happy and stay out of the queue in the first place – saving time and money.
“There isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to what makes people happy, and every region in the UK has different challenges and opportunities.
“We want Bristolians to help shape Bristol State of Mind by telling us what matters most to them, when it comes to staying mentally healthy.”
To take part in the project, visit the Bristol State of Mind page on the One Question website: https://onequestion.live/bristolstateofmind/
Samaritans is a UK-wide charity which offers support to people experiencing difficulties with their mental health. They can be contacted via freephone on 116 123. Bristol Mind is a local charity which can be contacted at specific times on weekdays on 0117 980 0370
Main photo: Eljay Briss
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