Mosque leaders support lockdown mental health campaign

A Banbury mosque is backing the Public Health England Every Mind Matters campaign to help people through lockdown after a survey revealed how many people were struggling with their mental health.

With local places of worship, recreation and community centres remaining closed, many people have lost an important source of one-to-one contact and are experiencing mental health issues as a direct result of the pandemic.

So leaders at Banbury Madni Mosque are doing their bit and encouraging their members to stay connected online, keep to a routine, and support each other.

The Every Mind Matters campaign focuses on mental wellbeing as well as the four most commonly reported concerns linked to mental health – anxiety, low mood, stress and trouble sleeping. It follows a survey that revealed:

• Half of adults (48%), say they are more worried during the current lockdown than last March, and nearly two thirds (64%) of those say the outbreak has already had a negative impact on their mental health.
• Of those surveyed, nearly half (46%) said they had been experiencing more anxiety, stress (44%), sleep problems (34%) and low mood (46%) over the course of the pandemic.
• The most common reasons people thought the lockdown had negatively impacted their mental health were missing friends and family (56%); uncertainty about the future (53%); and worried about family’s safety and health (53%).

A separate survey carried out jointly by Healthwatch Oxfordshire and Oxford Community Action with volunteers from Oxford’s multi-ethnic communities showed that friends, family, faith and community were most important to supporting wellbeing, but also revealed that there were barriers to accessing support services. Of the 152 people who responded to the survey, 60% said they would like help with managing their stress, and yet only 4% said they would seek mental health support.

Abu Hassan Hanif Chairman of Banbury Madni Mosque said:

“This lockdown has been a disaster for many people, but to support them and to keep our community mentally, physically and spirituality well, we have had ongoing activities such as daily talks online as well as continuing with our calls to prayer throughout the day.

 “Although mental wellbeing can be somewhat of a taboo subject, our Imams at Banbury Madni Mosque speak to people of all walks of life and have seen an increasing need for support for issues such as disputes between spouses, family members and panic attacks.”

 “We’ve found that keeping with a regular routine and remaining in daily contact with others, has been so important spiritually and mentally when so much seems out of your control.”

Nisha Sharma, PHE South East Population Health Programme Lead said:

“There are simple things you can do to help stop things escalating and you should try if you feel your mental wellbeing is suffering under the current lockdown.

“If you are noticing a change to your moods, sleep or ability to enjoy the things you usually would, I would urge you to reach out to someone you trust, or an organisation in your community. Many are still very much active and would be very happy to hear from you.

“The Every Mind Matters campaign includes free tools and resources to help you reflect on what might help you. A good place to start is the NHS-approved Mind Plan available here.”

Mental wellbeing lead for Public Health, Oxfordshire County Council, Donna Husband added:

 “We know how important it is for our residents to stay mentally and physically well and supporting people’s mental health is a priority for Oxfordshire’s Health Improvement Board. We have made a partnership commitment to support the whole population’s mental wellbeing through partnership groups and plans.

The views from our diverse and multi-ethnic communities on wellbeing will help us build a better picture of the mental wellbeing needs and assets of Oxfordshire.”

For more information on the Every Mind Matters campaign visit the website here.

For local support with mental health and further information about other community and faith groups supporting people through the pandemic visit Oxfordshire County Council's website here.