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UCL supports Mental Health Action Week 2009
8 April 2009
What are fear and anxiety?
Fear and anxiety are part of the mind and body's natural response to threats or thoughts that something bad might happen. Usually they last for a short time and then pass, but sometimes they last longer and you can find yourself stuck with these feelings.
Effects of fear and anxiety
Fear and anxiety can take over your life, affecting your ability to:
- eat
- sleep
- concentrate
- travel
- enjoy life
- leave the house.
It can be hard to break the cycle, but there are lots of ways to do it. UCL Occupational Health Service wants to tell as many people as possible that help is available and that there is no need to suffer in silence.
UCL Occupational Health Service
The UCL Occupational Health team works all year round to provide a comprehensive occupational health service to assist UCL in promoting physical and psychological well being and to prevent illness and injury arising from work activity. The team does this through a proactive approach to the management of health in the work environment, advising on the effects of health on work and work on health.
- The Mental health Foundation has published a booklet entitled How to overcome fear and anxiety which includes tips on how to break the cycle and where to find help. This can be downloaded from their website in .pdf format (click on the blue box on the right).
- The Occupational Health website features information on managing pressure and developing resilience.
- The Occupational Health Service is currently piloting access to short-term Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
- MoodGYM is an online CBT tool that helps address negative thoughts and avoid depression and anxiety.
Contact the UCL Occupational Health team on ohsadmin@ucl.ac.uk or call 020 7679 2802 or 32802 (internal) to make an appointment to see us. The team is located on the 4th Floor of the Health Centre Building at 3 Gower Place, within a short walk of the UCL Quad.
Max Hill, Occupational Health Advisor for UCL said: "A healthy workplace, and supporting and advising staff in all work-related health, physical psychological or emotional difficulties, is something we feel passionately about here in the Occupational Health Service. Our aim is to advise staff and managers in getting the best out of their working environments to support them in maintaining UCL as a world-class institution."
Other sources of support at UCL
- The Occupational Health Service provides support for work-related health issues such as musculoskeletal problems, work place and travel vaccinations, sickness absence and health surveillance amongst other things.
- UCL offers an in-house counselling service, which is open to all members of its staff. Staff are invited to consider counselling to address any issue that is causing them professional or personal difficulty, including conflict, anxiety or stress, relationship problems, loss or bereavement, alcohol or drug dependency, depression or eating disorders.
- The Employee Assistance Programme provides UCL staff with help to resolve personal and work-related problems, which may affect health, well-being and work performance. These may include health, family, consumer Information, relationship, legal and financial problems.
- Many employee assistance services are available online, including advice on financial, legal and emotional difficulties.
Student support
UCL provides a range of support to its students, including help and advice relating to health, legal, academic, sexuality, welfare, family problems and many other areas. Students might also find CALM useful: an online, multimedia health information and self-management package, designed to help people understand and manage a range of common mental health problems and illnesses.
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