Mental health

Mental health and wellbeing support

Listed below is a range of local and national resources that you can access to help support your mental health and wellbeing.

Local resources

  • Ways to Be Well is a guide for people in the Borders that offers ideas about how to look after your mental health and wellbeing, covering a range of themes such as sleep, connecting with nature and managing money worries. There is also a Wellbeing Planner to help you make small changes.
  • Mental Health and Wellbeing Information Stations are held monthly at What Matters Hubs drop-in sessions across the Borders. There’s no need to book – just pop in for an informal chat to get advice and information about the support that is available.
  • NHS Borders Wellbeing Service offers support to people who wish to improve their lives in one or more of the areas listed below. Wellbeing advisers offer up to 12 sessions of support, either face to face in local primary care settings, via ‘Near Me’ video calls or by telephone. The service also provides a series of leaflets containing self-help information and helpful strategies to help you improve how you are feeling. Topics covered include bereavement, depression, panic, stress, trauma and worry. 
    • emotional wellbeing (for people aged 16 and over)
    • being more active (for people aged 16 and over)
    • eating more healthily (for people aged 18 and over)
    • quitting smoking (for people aged 12 and over
  • Health in Mind provide peer connecting, 1-1 support and group work opportunities for adults across the Borders.
  • Togetherall is an online service for residents of the Borders aged 16 and over. It provides an anonymous peer to peer forum, offers self-assessment for anxiety and depression, as well as short online courses around grief and stress management. There is a 24-hour service for online chat with wellbeing advisors to support you to maintain your mental health and wellbeing.
  • ALISS is an online directory of the services, groups and activities available in your local community that could help support your health and wellbeing.

National resources

  • NHS Inform is Scotland's national health information service that provides quality assured information about common health conditions including mental health and wellbeing. This includes:
    • Information on identifying, treating and managing mental health conditions and disorders, as well as a range of self-help guides that use CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) that you can work through at your own pace. These cover topics such as anxiety, bereavement, depression, OCD, phobias and anger.
    • Advice on dealing with low mood, anxiety, phobias and stress as well as where you can get help. Information is also provided on improving your mental wellbeing generally with a specific section on women’s health that covers periods, pregnancy, and menopause.
    • Access to free online courses to help with your mental health such as SilverCloud (for mental wellbeing), Daylight (for anxiety) and Sleepio (for poor sleep and insomnia).
    • If you are experiencing stress, the breathing and relaxation exercises section contains helpful tips, breathing and relaxation exercises to help you cope.
    • Mind to Mind is the place to find real people’s experiences of dealing with common emotional problems. You can watch, listen and read tips for ways to manage your mental wellbeing.
  • Living Life a free cognitive behavioural therapy telephone service operated by NHS 24. This is for people aged over 16 with low mood, mild to moderate depression, anxiety or a combination of these symptoms. You can refer yourself for an assessment by phoning 0800 328 9655, Monday to Friday, 9am-9pm.
  • Living Life to the Full offers free online courses covering low mood, stress and resiliency.

Self-help books

Adult mental health support and services and how to access them Information Hub – Mental Health, Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention