Agenda item

Mr John Darwin asked a question concerning the role of the Mindfulness approach, particularly with regard to mental health. He stated that he had taught mindfulness for four years and it was clear that mindfulness based approaches had a role in relation to therapy and enhancing peoples’ lives. There was no reference to this in the Mental Health Strategy papers as submitted to this meeting of the Board. He asked what role the Board saw with regard to mindfulness approaches, which were good for people and cost effective for the health service. He asked for the Board’s comments. He commented that there were a growing number of courses relating to mindfulness, which were concerned with education, rather than theory and were relevant to everyone.

Councillor Julie Dore (Co-Chair of the Board) responded that the item on the agenda relating to Outcome 2 “Health and Wellbeing is Improving” included an action to promote a city wide approach to emotional wellbeing. The issue of mindfulness which Mr Darwin had raised was something which could be looked at within the emotional wellbeing theme and when the Board considered Outcome 2 later at this meeting. She said that she was not aware of other references to mindfulness within the Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

Tim Furness stated that mindfulness approaches were not something which had been raised as part of the engagement concerning the Sheffield Strategy for Mental Health being developed by the Mental Health Partnership Board. There was still opportunity to incorporate the issue into the Strategy.

Councillor Jackie Drayton stated that emotional wellbeing was something which was linked to positive behaviours in parents and children.

Dr Nikki Bates stated that the IAPT (Improving Access to Psychological Therapies) team did use mindfulness based approaches and such approaches were also sometimes recommended by GPs in their consultations with patients.