By Public Health England (2013)
In 2009, in response to the growing need to improve the population’s mental wellbeing and understand more about the positive mental wellbeing of people in the region, the former North West Public Health Observatory (NWPHO)ii was commissioned to undertake the first North West Mental Wellbeing Survey.
The results from this survey provided a baseline measure of the region’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as a description of the factors that influence wellbeing. The baseline enabled the ongoing measurement of average mental wellbeing in the population over time and provided evidence for the commissioning and evaluation of local interventions and services. Since the first survey there has been an increase in the measurement of mental wellbeing outcomes locally. The survey has supported local joint strategic needs assessments (JSNA) and commissioning of interventions to improve mental wellbeing. In 2012/13, a repeat of the survey was commissioned to provide updated local and regional data, and to allow comparison with the 2009 baseline. Some new questions were also included to gain further insight into current mental health and wellbeing across the region. In this report we present some of the key results from the 2012/13 survey along with a comparison with the 2009 results (where possible).