Peer support: Opening up about mental health

When our mental health is fragile at work it can often be difficult to know who to talk to, where to get help or just find someone to listen without judgement.

It can be helpful to talk to someone who understands the pressures of the work environment but isn't necessarily a close friend or team member. At the BBC, this role is fulfilled by members of the Peer Support Network.

In this podcast the BBC's Chief Medical Officer Dr Clare Fernandes talks to peer supporter and South-East Today Presenter Natalie Graham.

You'll learn about: - how peer supporters can support mental health difficulties, including anxiety, depression, stress or crisis situations in work - what a BBC peer supporter is - and what they're not - other support available at the BBC, including the Employee Assistance programme

A transcript is available on the programme page for this podcast.

This episode is part of the BBC Academy series on wellbeing and mental health in the workplace.

Though this podcast is aimed at BBC staff, you might find some of the content helpful if you work, or would like to work, elsewhere in the broadcast media industry.

Help and support BBC Staff can find out more about peer support by searching for 'peer support' on Gateway.

You can find further mental health and wellbeing resources by searching for BBC Headroom and listening to further episodes in this series on the BBC Academy podcast feed on BBC Sounds.

If you're outside of the BBC and need immediate help please contact the BBC Action Line or Samaritans. Staff can contact the Employee Assistance Programme by searching for it on Gateway.

Credits The podcast was presented by Dr Clare Fernandes and produced by Kasel Kundola.

Production support was from Helena Lyons. Exec producers for the BBC Academy were Ben Toone, Zoey Glasgow and Kirstie Andrews.