Stress Control

That this House congratulates Stress Control for the help that organisation has given to people suffering from depression and anxiety since the 1980s; notes that classes of up to 300 people are common, showing the popularity of the classes; acknowledges that independent research shows it works as well as individual therapy; praises the organisation for its ability to attract more individuals from hard-to-reach groups, such as those from deprived areas, minority ethnic communities and older adults, as well as men who are often less willing to admit to mental health struggles; welcomes the fact that the organisation trains teachers to deliver early intervention courses in schools as a way to prevent potential future mental health problems; further notes that the classes are widely used in the NHS, especially in the North of England, South Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland; recognises the use of Stress Control classes in NHS Lanarkshire, in association with Elament, where classes are available throughout the year in different locations and at different times, offering participants genuine choice and rapid access to evidence-based help; further acknowledges the importance of mental health services and the enormous help they give people; thanks Dr Jim White, Consultant Psychologist, for devising the classes, which have helped hundreds of thousands of people; and wishes the organisation and all participants of Stress Control classes every success in the future.