Supporting the mental health needs of those impacted by conflict in Israel and Palestine

Background

Thrive LDN is a citywide public mental health partnership to ensure all Londoners have an equal opportunity for good mental health and wellbeing. As part of our role supporting health, social care and political leadership on public mental health, we have stepped up support to a number of geo-political crises in recent years.  

This has involved working with grassroot and diaspora communities to develop targeted support and wellbeing resources for refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people, as well as developing wellbeing resources for wider crisis situations affecting Londoners’ mental health and wellbeing.

Co-developing resources and support with London’s affected communities

Work is ongoing across the Greater London Authority, OHID London, ADPH London and the NHS Legacy and Health Equity Partnership to develop a supportive response for the mental health needs of Londoners during the ongoing situation in Israel and Palestine. Due to the sensitive and urgent nature of the situation, extensive engagement with communities has not yet taken place, but we are keen to work with community groups and develop a coordinated approach to engagement over time.  

Please contact info@staging.thriveldn.co.uk to discuss any of the resources listed below and play a role in the development of community-led, accessible and culturally competent responses to the emerging situation.

Immediately available resources

Supporting Londoners’ resilience – Immediately available resources 

The purpose of this webpage is to outline services and resources which are already available to help anyone affected. Whilst this list is not exhaustive nor bespoke in relation to the conflict in Israel and Palestine, these resources have been developed by London partners and may provide helpful immediate support options for affected communities. These include: 

• Mental health workbooks and supporting videos developed by Good Thinking, London’s digital wellbeing service, and expert advisors – including coping with trauma, coping with trauma videos, sleep, and panic  
•  Wellbeing guidance available in 36 community languages from Doctors of the World – including Arabic  
•  Five ways to good mental wellbeing & Islam – includes translated and printable versions, including in Arabic 
• Five ways to good mental wellbeing & Judaism – includes numerous references to Jami, the specialist provider of mental health services for the Jewish community, and the Head Room café which is run by Jami. 
• Bereavement guides and resources on Good Thinking – including a guide on providing culturally sensitive bereavement support and faith-based bereavement resources  
• Urgent mental health support - including signposting to local NHS urgent mental health helplines in England 
• Good Thinking’s tools and advice to support with anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping  
• NHS talking therapies, or counselling, are effective and confidential treatments delivered by fully trained and accredited NHS practitioners. They can help with common mental health problems like stress, anxiety and depression. You can access talking therapies for free on the NHS.
• Thrive LDN support after sudden bereavement resource (currently framed around the coronavirus pandemic but may still be useful)  
• Thrive LDN mental health conversation starter tool. Developed universally, the SIGNSS framework – Situation, Initiate, Guide, Nudge, and Support and Signpost – aims to help encourage a gentle and supportive conversation.  
• For those supporting communities: access free trauma-informed practice training and suicide prevention training.  
• Explore general guidance for supporting individuals and communities adversely affected by events alongside an overview of psychosocial approaches (this is currently framed around the coronavirus pandemic but may still be useful).