Seeking Salvation: Anxiety and depression at the 'forefront' in winter
Winter exacerbates mental health issues for vulnerable people, a Blenheim Salvation Army social worker says.
As the Salvation Army records increased demand for their services over winter, Blenheim Salvation Army social worker Bridget Nolan has also noticed increased cases of anxiety and depression.
She said mental health had been at the "forefront" of a lot of people's problems, particularly in the past several weeks in the colder weather.
"They're just at the end of their tether, they don't know where else to go for any help," Nolan said.
"Winter seems to exacerbate that feeling - they're cold, they haven't got enough food - winter can promote depression and low mood and make us feel more isolated and alone."
"If you're already beating low mood or depression or anxiety and you add cold and then sickness and an empty tummy, it just [means] less hope, less get-up-and-go."
The Salvation Army provided food parcels, budgeting advice, social work and development, and emergency housing to about 120,000 vulnerable New Zealanders each year.
The Blenheim Salvation Army drop-in centre, on Henry St, opened for three hours three days a week, and saw up to 15 people a week.
In Nelson, the drop-in centre opened for four hours three days a week, and saw about 30 people through the door most days.
"A third of them are requiring assistance and the rest are just coming to get out of the cold and have something to eat and drink," Nelson Tasman Bay Salvation Army team leader for community ministries Ros Vercoe said.
Mental health issues had increased steadily in the past several years, "perhaps not in instance but in intensity", she said.
"We've certainly noticed an increase in severity of the people that are presenting to us that aren't well-supported in the community.
"Because the mental health services are so stretched, if people aren't actively suicidal it's very difficult to actually get them engaged."
Blenheim resident Polly Kavanagh, 61, lived alone and worked limited hours because of her fibromyalgia and struggle with depression. She said it was more of a challenge to stay positive in winter.
"It's a struggle just to stay warm and then it's a struggle to even put food on the table and heat the house," Kavanagh said.
"Do you want to heat the house or have a feed? And it gets you down.
"With the cold weather too, you feel sick, tired, sore and that doesn't help the mood at all either."
Vercoe said winter could increase financial pressures on vulnerable people, which in turn could affect health issues.
"There's such a correlation between poverty and poor health," Vercoe said.
"[Winter] increases their need for accessing services because they might need some help with food so they can pay their power bill," Vercoe said.
People used to come in once a day for a cup of tea and something to eat, but "[now] people will come back multiple times within that four hours", Vercoe said.
"Instead of putting their own power on and costing them money, why not come somewhere where there's some warmth, there's some people to talk to and something to eat and drink?"
A Salvation Army initiative, the Positive Lifestyle Programme, helped clients like Kavanagh to get through the colder months.
An eight module course - including topics such as anger and grief - the "cognitive-based behavioural therapy programme" gave vulnerable people the tools to cope with their situations.
"Our doors are open to anybody and everybody," said Nolan, who had been running the programme locally over the past three years.
"Doing life alone is actually incredibly difficult if you haven't got the tools to manage and cope.
"We've got a lot more people coming, not just for that instant practical assistance - like the food - they're seeking deeper and more significant changes internally.
"We don't have a magic wand, we can't change people's circumstances, but the positive lifestyle programme is growing."
Kavanagh said the programme had not taken away her seasonal depression, but it had given her the tools and perspective to manage it.
As part of its winter appeal, which started last week, the Salvation Army was asking for those more fortunate to dig deep and donate this winter.
- 22-Nov-2019
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