Mind Cymru’s Active Monitoring is a free six-week guided self-help service for anyone aged 18 and over. Based on the principles of CBT, it is designed to help people with mild to moderate mental health problems, such as anxiety, low mood, stress, and more. It has a robust evidence base and has helped more than 14,000 people in Wales.

“Active Monitoring has been the best support I have ever used; the fact I am still using it 18 months later shows that.” Active Monitoring client

The service is easily accessible online at mind.org.uk/AMWales or by contacting a local Mind. Anyone over 18 can self-refer or be referred by a healthcare professional and the service is available in both English and Welsh language.

• 99% of clients said they would recommend the service to friends and family
• Clients rated the service a 9.5/10 on average

A trained Active Monitoring practitioner will provide an assessment and book a time and date for ongoing sessions. The client will have up to six one-to-one sessions with their practitioner. Face-to-face or virtually, they’ll work through one of the seven pathways, which include helpful tools and strategies in workbooks and self-management resources.

In a recent survey:

• 85% felt improvement in feelings of depression (PHQ9) and;
• 85% reported an improvement in their mental wellbeing (WEMWBS).

Active Monitoring is a Tier 1 intervention and fits well with Wales’ vision for integrated multi-tier mental health services. It fits with part 1 of the Mental Health (Wales) Measure & clinical NICE guidelines for mild to moderate mental health problems. It was developed as a primary care mental health service in conjunction with a GP practice.

“I think everybody should have access to a service like this – with long waits for mental health support, it would be wonderful for everyone to have a trained practitioner to talk to about any mental health problems they may have.” GP

Active Monitoring can support your mental health service delivery by helping people who:

• Have a need too low for other mental health services
• Would face a long wait for counselling or other Tier 1 support
• Are ready to step down from higher-level services
• Would benefit more from community-based support and being linked to other mental health services in local Minds.