Money & Mental Health: Supporting People in Financial Distress

Explore how financial difficulty impacts mental health and gain tools to better support people in crisisJoin Kate Wells of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (founded and Chaired by Martin Lewis CBE) for an interactive session to explore how financial difficulty impacts mental health and gain tools to better support people in crisis.Financial difficulty and mental health problems are deeply connected. Research shows that almost half of people in problem debt also have a mental health problem, and that people with mental health problems are around three and a half times more likely to be in problem debt than people without mental health problems.For many people, this creates a cycle that can be difficult to break.Financial distress can worsen anxiety, depression and other mental health problems, while mental health problems can make it harder to manage money, engage with services, complete forms, seek help or access the financial support someone is entitled to.This webinar, delivered by Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, will explore what this relationship looks like in real advice and guidance settings. It will equip attendees with practical ways to recognise when mental health problems may be affecting someone’s ability to engage, and to adapt support in ways that are empathetic, accessible and effective.The session will also consider the emotional impact of supporting people in distress. Advisers and support services often work with people facing complex, urgent and deeply stressful situations. Alongside practical tools for supporting clients, the webinar will explore how frontline staff can protect their own wellbeing, maintain boundaries and avoid carrying the work alone.Who is this session for?This webinar is ideal for anyone supporting individuals with money concerns, particularly those working in:Money guidance Practitioners working in the third, community, and public benefit sectorsSupport, community, or frontline roles.Volunteers or staff who discuss money as part of wider support rolesMoney guiders who want to strengthen their safeguarding knowledge and referral confidenceThis session will provide valuable insight into delivering more empathetic, informed, and effective support. Money guidance Practitioners working in the third, community, and public benefit sectorsWhat to expect● Explore the two-way relationship between mental health problems and financial difficulty, including the impact of debt, low income and financial strain on wellbeing, confidence and decision-making● Understand how cognitive and psychological symptoms can affect money management and engagement with support, including avoidance, overwhelm, impulsive spending, difficulty concentrating, memory problems and fluctuating ability to act.● Share practical ways advisers and guiders can adapt conversations, follow-up, signposting and action planning to better meet people’s needs.● Explore adviser wellbeing, including emotional load, boundaries, supervision and practical ways to stay well when supporting people in distress.● Signpost to relevant sources of support, including debt advice, money guidance, mental health resources and community-based support.With money worries identified as a leading cause of anxiety for many people, this webinar will also consider how stigma - around both debt and mental health problems - can prevent individuals from accessing the help they need.Key TakeawaysBy the end of the session, participants will:Have a clearer understanding of the two-way relationship between mental health problems and financial difficulty.Be better able to recognise how mental health problems can affect someone’s ability to manage money, engage with services and act on advice.Be better equipped to recognise signs of financial distresslinked to mental health problems.Gain practical tools for adapting money guidance and advice conversations.Know where to signpost people for appropriate money, debt, mental health and community support