Last week saw the publication of a major new survey of 18,500 residents of the North West, which highlights the crucial role of mental well-being in improving people's lives.
There needs to be much greater attention and effort on improving mental well-being to help people live healthier, happier and more productive lives, according to the results of the survey, which reveals significant differences in levels of mental well-being.
A copy of the survey summary report and the complete report can be downloaded at www.nwpho.org.uk
The North West Mental Well-being Survey was undertaken in response to a growing need to understand more about positive mental health and well-being. With a total sample of 18,500 people across Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, the survey is the largest, most significant and detailed investigation of the region's mental health and well-being ever undertaken. It identifies differences between local areas, with people from Warrington emerging as having the highest overall mental well-being score in the North West and people in Liverpool the lowest.
The survey, the product of collaborative effort between Primary Care Trusts and Local Authorities across the region, was led by the Strategic Health Authority (NHS North West), Department of Health and the North West Public Health Observatory.
The survey revealed a clear link between general health and mental well-being:-
- Those with relatively high mental well-being were three-and-a-half times more likely than those with relatively low mental well-being to say they were in very good health;
- Those with low mental well-being were nearly five times more likely to say that their health was very bad or bad than those with high mental well-being.
Other findings from the survey include:
- There were no differences in levels of mental well-being between men and women;
- High levels of mental well-being were most likely among 25-39 year olds, those living in the least deprived areas and among non-white adults;
- Relatively low levels of mental well-being were more likely to be found among people living in the most deprived areas, among 40-54 year olds and among white adults;
- Individuals with low mental well-being were nearly three times more likely than those with high mental well-being to have not spoken to someone outside their household in the last week;
- People with a relatively high level of mental well-being were two-and-a-half times more likely to be satisfied with their lives compared with people with a relatively low level of mental well-being;
- People with high levels of mental well-being were 2.4 times more likely than those with low levels to have never worried about money in the last few weeks;
- People with high levels of mental well-being were 2.4 times more likely than those with low levels to be taking enough exercise to meet Government physical activity targets.
A copy of the survey summary report and the complete report can be downloaded at www.nwpho.org.uk