Mental health charity launch e-mail support

SANE, the mental health charity has launched a new email support service to provide support and information to people affected by mental health problems, and is fully funded by The Vodafone UK Foundation charity.

SANEmail aims to provide support and information to people affected by mental health problems and will run alongside SANEline, SANE’s national, out of hours, mental health helpline.

It is particularly aimed at young people affected by mental health problems, who may feel more at ease using email than the telephone.

As many as one in four people are affected by mental illness at some point in their lives, which is the equivalent of 15 million people in the UK alone.

SANE’s chief executive, Marjorie Wallace, said: “We hope that SANEmail will reach out to people who may feel anxious about picking up the phone. Our message is that it is OK to get help and to recognise that you need it – and now SANE can respond in a way that resonates with young people.”

Trained volunteers will staff the e-mail helpline, who will be able to provide emotional support and information in confidence while remaining non-judgemental.

The purpose of the new service is to provide another avenue by which people affected by mental health problems can receive emotional support from SANE, as well as detailed information on local and national mental health and other services, or treatments and therapies for dealing with panic attacks or overcoming depression.

“It seems only fitting that a service should be offered to young people in need in a medium in which they feel secure and comfortable. Bravo SANE,” one user said.

The system was thought up by SANE’s Young Person’s Panel, who meet and correspond regularly to discuss the running and development of the email support service.

SANEmail will be made available to anyone by them e-mailing sanemail@sane.org.uk. Visitors to the SANE website at www.sane.org.uk can also e-mail from a dedicated page on the site.

The charity promise that all e-mails will be responded to within five working days.