Information for the public
While you're in hospital
The staff should work with you in planning your care and recovery. They should talk with you about how to cope with your symptoms and recognise signs that your mental health needs might be changing. A member of your care team should update your care plan with you frequently to make sure it's still right.
Keeping in touch with life outside
Your care team should help you to keep links with your life outside hospital so you can pick things up again when you're feeling better. This includes any work, training or learning you were doing. If you're under 18, staff should arrange with someone from your school or college to help you keep up with your studies while you're in hospital.
If the hospital is a long way from where you normally live, you might need extra help to keep in touch with life back home. The hospital should make sure a practitioner from your ward works with one in your home area to support you.
Sessions to help you cope better
While you're in hospital you may be offered specific support sessions to help you understand and cope with your mental health problems. This is known as psychoeducation. If you're offered these sessions, they should start while you're in hospital and keep running for a while after you've left. This will give you a chance to test out what you've learnt in everyday life. The hospital may offer your family or carers separate sessions to help them support you.
You might also be offered support from other people who have experienced mental health problems and are trained to help others. This is known as peer support.