Industry wellbeing charity NABS is launching a solutions-focused community consultation on mental wellness.
Launched amid Mental Health Awareness Week, NABS’ All Ears consultation will run through the spring and summer with the goal of “opening up a deeper dive conversation about the state of mental wellness in the industry.”
All Ears aims to identify, prioritise and accelerate solutions to the advertising, marketing and media community’s mental wellness needs.
The consultation’s name is inspired by the Advertising Association’s biennial census, All In, and aims to similarly reflect on and summarise the advertising community’s thoughts and considerations on mental wellness.
All In Census: one in three feel stressed or anxious
At the conclusion of the consultation, NABS will produce a full report detailing its learnings and how such insights will help shape its strategic plan and charity and commercial offers. The report will also provide guidance for organisations that can influence systemic change in the industry.
“NABS is a huge believer in the power of community when it comes to advancing mental wellness, and we need to work together with the people we serve to make sure that NABS continues to provide effective support and insight in this space,” says NABS CEO Sue Todd. “We’re really looking forward to hearing as many views as possible via the consultation which we’ll be conducting in new and interesting ways – from discussion groups and webinars to surveys and challenge groups.”
In the first quarter, demand for NABS’ core services were found to have doubled year-on-year. The number one reason for calls to its support team was for emotional support, with two-thirds of these calls specifically relating to mental health challenges. Last week’s All In census unveiled similar findings, with a third of respondents reporting being affected by stress and anxiety.
Mental health must be taken as seriously as physical health
“At NABS, we can see from our frontline stats that constantly adapting to a volatile and uncertain world affects everyone’s sense of mental wellness,” added Todd. “Each individual’s challenges are different, but the most powerful response is collective.
“If you’re passionate about engaging in meaningful conversations that will help shift industry culture and drive forward effective mental wellness support, sign up to take part in NABS’ community consultation.”
Interested parties can join the consultation by registering their interest at nabs.org.uk/all-ears.
