National Voices - Ask How I Am: Supporting emotional health among people living with long-term conditions (11 June 2021)

Summary

Mental and physical health are closely related, and people who live with long-term physical conditions are twice as likely to have poor mental health as those who do not. The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to have increased this trend.

This report looks at the lived experience of people living with long-term conditions, their family members and the healthcare professionals who work with them, to understand the relationships between having a long-term illness and people’s emotional and mental wellbeing. It aims to identify ways of improving people’s experiences and outcomes. The report covers:

• the impact long-term conditions can have on people, their relationships and jobs.
• what helps people deal with this impact.
• what support is already available and works.
• what needs to change to better emotionally support people living with long-term physical ill-health.

This report was coproduced by National Voices and Centre for Mental Health, with support from a range of long-term conditions charities.