Wearing seatbelts key to happy life according to mental health discussion in Selston

Wren Hall, a dementia specialist nursing home on Nottingham Road, Selston, sits next door to Little Wrens Day Nursery & Preschool, with intergenerational relationships are a key part of their combined offering.

The home took the opportunity to gauge different perceptions around mental health, asking a mix of residents, carers and nursery children what their thoughts were on the topic.

The result was an at times tear-jerking and at times heart-warming video that underlined the generational differences in perceptions – as care residents aged in their 70s and 80s, carers in their 30s and 40s, and children aged between two and five gave their take.

Penny Haney, one of the staff at Wren Hall, said: “Growing up, mental health was never spoken about at all. Things that happened in your own four walls never got spoken about outside.”

One 90-year-old resident said: “In school, I was never taught about mental health.”

An 87-year-old resident added: “People think about it more than they used to. Years ago, when I was a child. If you were frightened at school, we didn’t get the support that they get today.”

Children’s answers to questions such as who to talk to if sad, the key to a happy life and what was important in life included, “my mummy and daddy”, “friends, family and laughter” and “putting seat belts on” respectively.

And Wren Hall said, with the Office for National Statistics recently reporting a rise in the number of young people suffering from mental health issues, conversations around the topic are more important than ever.

Anita Astle, Wren Hall owner and manager, said: “Mental health is an extremely important issue across all generations.

“No matter our age, we can all appreciate happiness, sadness and the full spectrum in between, with any number of things impacting our feelings and wider wellbeing.

“Within the combined communities of Wren Hall and Little Wrens, we’re very much focused on promoting good mental health, and our intergenerational relationships bring much joy.”

Watch the video at shorturl.at/hiEI4