AM backs efforts to improve mental health through healthy relationships

 Rebecca Evans AM, the newly elected Assembly Member for the Gower, is taking part in this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from the 16-22 May, by highlighting the benefits of building healthy relationships for young people.

Mrs Evans has previously called for action on promoting an understanding of healthy relationships for young people as part of her work on Internet safety.

This was picked up in the Welsh Labour Manifesto, which promises to deliver "more action to tackle the stigma of mental illness, increase access to talking therapies and promote better emotional health in schools." Alongside this, a taskforce will be established to explore ways of improving behaviour, wellbeing and mental health in all education settings.

Speaking on the importance of Mental Health Awareness Week, Mrs Evans said:

“The theme for this year’s Mental Health Awareness week is Relationships.

"Good relationships are fundamental to our health and wellbeing, and it is important that young people are helped to understand what a healthy relationship is, and what their expectations should be of themselves and of others.

"This awareness raising week is a good chance to put healthy relationships high on the agenda."
 
Mental Health Awareness Week runs from the 16th – 22nd May and is supported by a cross-section of Mental Health charities including Mind, Hafal and the Mental Health Foundation who are asking the public to go the extra mile in prioritising their relationships.

They said: “We are calling on people to make a relationship resolution: to assess how much time we actively commit to building and maintaining good relationships, and to ask whether we can invest more in being present with and listening to friends, family and colleagues."