Case A is a young man in his mid-20s struggling with HIV, comorbidities, borderline personality disorder, and paranoid schizophrenia. He was also experiencing financial difficulties caused by the lockdown, insecurity regarding income, and housing issues, which made him feel overwhelmed and struggle to cope during the pandemic. He contacted a service for support, but he thought that no one was listening to him or caring about his situation. This case study describes the interventions and support provided to Case A, which helped him feel more positive about his future.

Case A was experiencing suicidal thoughts and had reached out for support. However, he felt that the support provided by his GP was inadequate, which made him more distressed. He had also struggled to find help since moving to a new borough. He felt that no one was listening to him, which increased his feelings of hopelessness.

The service user signed up for the Mood Boost webinar, a six-week program offered by the Barnet Wellbeing Hub’s Online Wellbeing Programme. The interactive and informative course helped her to learn tools that she could use to improve her mental health. The service user felt grateful for the content and strongly resonated with the tools, which she still uses to this day. The group interaction felt supportive, and the service user appreciated the polls and Q&A function.

Our team attempted to contact Case A to provide him with a safety plan, but he did not answer the phone. A message was left with the contact details of the Crisis Team, the Samaritans, and A&E. We also assured him that we would contact his GP to explain what he was going through and follow up with him the next day.

The following day, Case A contacted our service and shared that he was “in a bad state” and “ready to end it.” He confirmed that the GP contacted him, and our message helped him. We connected him to an urgent housing appointment with our housing legal advice volunteer, which helped him understand his entitlements and gain more confidence in dealing with his housing issues.

We also referred him to the Primary Care Link to provide an initial assessment of his psychiatric state. He agreed to this and stated that it was the first time he felt someone was considering his mental wellbeing since he came to the new borough. We encouraged him to go out of his house and go for walks to improve his mental wellbeing. He promised to do this more regularly and attend online sessions on improving self-esteem.

Case A received the support he needed, which helped him feel more positive about his future. He was no longer experiencing suicidal thoughts and was more confident dealing with his housing issues. He also improved his mental wellbeing by going for walks and attending online sessions on improving self-esteem.

Case A’s situation highlights the importance of supporting individuals struggling with mental health issues, especially during difficult times such as the pandemic. Our team was able to provide him with a safety plan, connect him to urgent housing support, and refer him to an initial assessment of his psychiatric state. These interventions helped him feel more positive about his future and engaged in improving his mental wellbeing.