The Spark Blog
Category: non-profit
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Avoiding Christmas Debt this year
Christmas is an expensive time of year for all of us as we buy presents, decorate our homes and enjoy nights out. Costs can soon add up and Christmas debt is a significant problem with 1 in 4 adults in the UK feeling pressured into overspending at Christmas. Loans, credit cards and Christmas debt Many…
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Youth Mental Health: Reviews Are Great but We Need Action Too
Scotland, like the rest of the UK, faces a crisis in youth mental health. Studies and reports detailing the mental health issues faced by children and adolescents are regularly making the news headlines. The existing NHS-provided child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are under severe pressure which has led to extensive waiting times. A…
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Male Infertility and Mental Health
Men are in general pretty bad at talking about their feelings. They are taught from their earliest years – both explicitly and implicitly – to hold emotions in. Never cry, get on with it and barely whisper about what is upsetting you. When it comes to male infertility, the whisper typically fades to complete silence.…
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Pupils Come First with Counselling
The Spark is at the forefront of efforts to improve the mental and emotional wellbeing of school pupils in Scotland. It is widely recognised that a child’s ability and readiness to learn can be compromised by difficult life experiences. Through counselling and education programmes we are helping schools manage the emotional and mental wellbeing of…
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The Benefits of Online Counselling
When we think of counselling most of us will picture people sitting together in a quiet room talking. For the majority of individuals, couples and families this is indeed what counselling looks like. But the growth of digital technology has opened up a new form of therapy that is changing how we view counselling. Limited…
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Male Postnatal Depression is Real
Male postnatal depression has long been considered in the same terms as man flu. Reactions can vary from a raised eyebrow to thinly veiled contempt when the subject is broached. Familiar gender stereotypes entrench the belief that a dad ‘can’t get’ postnatal depression because of their limited role in pregnancy, childbirth and the early months…
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Life Hacks for Mental Health – Part 3
In the final part of our life hacks series we are looking at how doing what you are good at, keeping in touch and asking for help can set you on the path to good mental health. Catch up on part 1 and part 2 of the life hacks series. 7. Do things you are…
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Infant Mental Health Before Birth
There is no denying that the mental health of children and young people is in decline. Last week further data was released confirming more children and young people are requiring support for mental health issues. Worse still NHS therapeutic services are struggling to meet government targets of 18 weeks from referral to accessing support. In…
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Life Hacks for Mental Health – Part 2
Welcome to part 2 of The Spark’s life hacks for mental health series. This time we are looking at how getting active, putting the cork back in the bottle and looking out for others can boost mental health. Catch up on part 1 of the life hacks series – covering healthy eating, slowing life down…
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