A survey by the charity, MIND, found that across the UK's GP surgeries that 40% of appointments involve mental health. We also recognise that there are many factors that can affect your mental health such as housing, addiction and social pressures. Below are some links to provide some guidance on what support is available in Brighton and Hove. If you would like to book a mental health appointment please call the surgery on 01273 523 623 during our opening hours.

See the NHS website on mental health, where you can self refer for NHS talking therapy, access a mental wellbeing audio guide and find out where to get urgent help for mental health.

 

The following are booklets that explain what each mental health diagnoses are and their symptoms and how you can access treatment and support

Anxiety and panic attacks           Depression                Managing Stress, Relaxation and Sleep                    Self Harm              Bereavement

 

Phone Numbers

MHRRS provide an urgent response service to the people of Brighton & Hove when they feel they are in a mental health crisis and are at immediate risk of harming themselves or others. Call the MHRRS team on 0300 304 0078 

Samaritans Samaritans For 24/7 free phone support call 116 123 

You can text "SHOUT" to 85258 for free from all major UK mobile networks. You'll then be connected to a volunteer for an anonymous conversation by text message.

Sussex Mental Healthline is a free 24/7 support line for anyone struggling with their mental health. Call on 0800 0309 500 

Charities

Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service offer a variety of support for Children and Young People and Adults. The services provided are delivered by a number of teams who work alongside one another to ensure that you receive the care and support that you need at every stage of your journey.

UOK Brighton & Hove offers a ‘Central Access Point’ to a network of 16 local community-based services working together to support good mental health and wellbeing in Brighton and Hove.

Part of Brighton & Hove's Adolescent Health Service, ru-ok? works with people under 18 struggling with addiction and they also provide advice on sexual health and substances, and school and studio-based music activities

National Suicide Prevention Alliance Led by MIND in consultation with a huge range of stakeholders, the guidance enables any community moderator, regardless of forum or topic, to safely and confidently respond to people that may be expressing thoughts of suicide online and to signpost them to appropriate support.

LGBT Foundation: 0345 3 30 30 30 - Our Helpline and Email Support service provides brief interventions, advice, emotional support and signposting, Our team will spend time with you to explore your current situation, and work with you to identify potential next steps for support.

MIND offer a wide range of mental health services operating across Brighton and Hove. Services include a variety of advice, support, training, peer support and advocacy services. They have also collated information for Free Counselling in Brighton and Hove. You can also review their advice on what you can do to help yourself cope. See their mental health A-Z page for a list of all mental health diagnoses they can support you with

Switchboard is a Brighton & Hove LGBTQ+ charity that provides a range of services to support the LGBTQ+ community. They run a help line that is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings as well as groups for domestic abuse, dementia support, older people and TNBI link service. They also run a LGBTQ+ Night shelter, more information about this can be found on their website here. You can call their helpline on 01273 204 050 - 7pm-9:30pm

Staying Well in Brighton and Hove is an out of hours mental health crisis prevention support. Call on 0800 023 6475 or email stayingwell.brighton@southdown.org or you can self refer by visiting the website or by following the self-referral link.
They run a walk in crisis cafe located at 18 Preston Park Avenue on Weekdays 5:30pm - 10:30pm and Weekends 3:30pm - 10:30pm.

R;pple Suicide Prevention is a digital tool which if a user searches for harmful content online they will be guided through a filter of breathing exercises, presented strategies and forums, helplines and mental health services. This is a free tool that you can download today. If you would like to find out more, download this R;pple toolkit information pack or visit their website using the link above

Anxiety UK is the leading charity supporting those suffering with anxiety disorders. You can call on 03444 775 774 or text on 07537 416 905 (Open Mon-Fri10:30-16:30)

The PCN (Primary Care Network) offer free sessions around Brighton to support your mental health and wellbeing. You can see more information on their website or by looking at the calendar to see when and where sessions run.

 

Counselling

Counselling Directory is a resource hub which enables individuals struggling with their emotional well-being to find a qualified and insured counsellor. Counselling Directory was set up by a team who know how difficult it can be to find the right support, and are passionate about connecting people to the support they deserve. As well as providing a directory of counsellors, they also share free advice and guidance from counsellors through our expert articles. We also list counselling organisations and charities who offer free or low concession counselling sessions. 

The Brighton and Hove Wellbeing service offers Counselling for Depression to anyone over the age of 18. This includes one to one weekly sessions where they will check in with you and can also signpost you to relevant services. The Wellbeing Service offers a range of groups and sessions including CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy). Complete a self-referral form to access this service.

 

Domestic Abuse

National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 - Available 24/7 for free and in confidence. You can also chat online if you are unable to speak freely, or you can complete a contact us form with a safe time for you to be contacted. 

Women's Aid is the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children. As a federation they provide life-saving services across England while building a future where domestic abuse is not tolerated. They have also created The Survivors Handbook which includes practial information and support for women experiencing domestic abuse
If you are in need of information and support, please email at helpline@womensaid.org.uk, use their online chat, or speak to other women using their forum

Rights of Women was formed in 1975 as a direct response to the fifth demand of the Women’s Liberation Movement for legal and financial independence for women. A group of women legal workers founded the organisation to help women find their way around the many man-made laws that affected them. Use their free and confidential legal advice line for support. They are able to provide interpreters on this line if required.

ManKind Initiaive provide an information, support and signposting service to men suffering from domestic abuse from their current or former wife, partner (including same-sex partner) or husband. This can range from physical violence or object throwing to abuse such as constant bullying or insults.
Call their confidential helpline open Monday – Friday 10am to 4pm (excluding bank holidays) Freephone 0808 800 1170 for the call to not show on your bills, or call their helpine 01823 334 244 if you have inclusive minutes

Men's Advice line: 0808 801 0327 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm) or info@medsadviceline.org.uk (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) - Whether you use phone email or webchat, you’ll get a courteous, respectful and high-quality service, offering you the most appropriate help and support. 

Respect Perpetrators - This domestic abuse help service is for perpetrators and those supporting them. Advisors on the Respect Phoneline will listen to you without judgement and are available to offer confidential and honest advice to help you – or the person you are supporting – to stop being violent. The free help line is: 0808 8024 040 and is open Monday to Firday 10am-5pm. They also offers a webchat service and email info@respectphoneline.org.uk 

National Centre for Domestic Violence: 0800 970 2070 or Text: NCDV to 60777 for a call back (can help with emergency non-molestation orders if the person is leaving the partner. They can talk through people getting legal aid etc. or send the information for the person to apply themselves)

Safelives.org.uk: have a “Find a MARAC service” - for you to find the contact details for your local team. A MARAC, or multi-agency risk assessment conference, is a meeting where information is shared on the highest risk domestic abuse cases between representatives of local police, probation, health, child protection, housing practitioners, Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and other specialists

Freedomcharity.org.uk provides advice and support for professionals supporting people experiencing domestic abuse, and also has created an app for people in honour-based violence situations, which is cleverly disguised as a game.

 

 

Support for Under 18's

There is a Youth Advice Centre (YAC) who are part of the YMCA who offer support, housing advice, mental health, family mediation. You can visit YAC at 11 St George's Place, Brighton, BN1 4GB, or call them on 01273 624 432

Allsorts Youth Project listens to, connects and supports children and young people under 26 who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or exploring their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and their families. They offer youth groups, one-to-one sessions for any young person looking for support and a family service to provide information and support to parents/carers of children who are LGBTQIA+.
You can complete a referral form on their website and can contact youth@allsortsyouth.org.uk if you need support completing the form. All children & young people will need to have an introductory meeting with a Youth Support Worker to attend Allsorts services

Rise offer special services to help children, young people and families affected by domestic abuse. They have a resources page for children aged 6-12 and for teenagers 13+. These cover mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and PTSD and things you can do learn more and ways to keep track of your recovery.

CAMHS also have a resources page that includes, books apps and websites that are available to help support you or your child's mental health and wellbeing

Young Minds offer resources on supporting young people with their mental health including advise on medications and coping with life. They also have guidance on how you can reach out for help

Childline: 0800 1111 - Available 24/7 for a free and confidential service to a counsellor who can listen and support you with anything you would like to talk about. For those who would like to speak about themselves, but also if they are concerned about a child.

The Mix provide essential support for under 25s. Their mental health hub includes lots of information on finding mental health support, self care and other treatments and have a crisis line available 7 days a week. You can contact them by texting THEMIX on 85258, email using their online form and a one to one chat available from 4pm-11pm Monday to Friday. They also offer a counselling service

Brighton and Hove Wellbeing Service offer counselling and other services for children and adults. See their services and resources page for children and young people for further information

Brighton and Hove Council have a directory of youth services. This includes local charities, community groups and businesses. They also have a family hub which includes information on childcare, local support for your family, financial support, groups and workshops you can attend and more

 

Bereavement 

Please see our bereavement advice page for support. This includes multiple services that offer advice and support for any bereavement related concerns

LGBTQIA+ Support

Please see our LGBTQIA+ support page. These include charities that that are run for and by members of LGBTQIA+ community.

 

Drugs and Alcohol Support

Please see our drug and alcohol support page. This includes charities that you can contact for support and to start your recovery

 

ADHD and Autism (Neurodiverse Conditions)

Please see our page on neurodiverse conditions such as Autism and ADHD

 

Apps 

The Stay Alive app is a pocket suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information to help you stay safe. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.

BetterHelp is the largest therapy platform in the world and it's 100% online. The cost averages between £40-£70 per week (billed every week) which is based on your location, preferences and therapist availability. You can cancel your membership at any time

I Am Sober - Helps you track your addiction recovery daily and gives advise on building new habits and supports you keeping motivated. 

Moodkit is a one-of-a-kind app designed to help you apply effective strategies of professional psychology to your everyday life.

Calm - personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life

Adult Social Care Hub

Addaction - A national charity offering specialist mental health, drug and alcohol treatment, with free and confidential addiction services for adults and young people.

Al-anon Family Groups- A national group that provides support to anyone whose life is, or has been, affected by someone else's drinking, regardless of whether that person is still drinking or not. They do not offer advice or counselling, but members give each other understanding, strength and hope.

Alateen - A national charity for teenage relatives and friends of alcoholics. Alateen is part of Al-Anon. Alateen meetings are attended by 12-17 year olds. Meeting to share their experiences of having, or having had, a problem drinker in their lives . They help and support each other.

The Crisis Service can help with problems such as if you find yourself suddenly ill in bed, if you are recovering from a bereavement, or are home from hospital after being discharged. Crisis Level 1 provides temporary emergency support when other services are not available.