18 May 2020
During Mental Health Awareness Week 2020, S4C and Hansh will be showing a host of special items and programmes to raise awareness about the mental health problems affecting the nation.
From Monday 18 May to Sunday 24 May, the channel will be sharing individuals' experiences and offering support on how to cope with mental health problems in a wide range of programmes.
Throughout the week, Prynhawn Da and Heno will be showing a range of items discussing how different aspects of life can affect and improve mental health.
Items on Prynhawn Da, shown Monday to Friday at 2pm, will discuss how people grieve, offer advice on how to cope with stress and share effective breathing and meditation exercises.
On Heno, shown at 6.30pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 7.00pm on Tuesday and Thursday, the team will be speaking to several contributors to the mental health website and blog, Meddwl.org, and hearing about how exercise and eating healthily can help.
Ffermio, shown on Monday at 9.00pm, will look at what support is available to individuals suffering from loneliness and mental health problems and hear from one of the founders of a mental health charity that offers specific support to the agricultural community.
FFIT Cymru, Tuesday night at 9.00pm.
FFIT Cymru, the series which transforms the health and wellbeing of five leaders, continues on Tuesday at 9.00pm, and mental health sessions, hosted by the series' psychologist, Dr Ioan Rees, will be available to watch on the FFIT Cymru Facebook, Twitter and Youtube channels.
On Wednesday at 8.00pm, Y Byd ar Bedwar will look at the problems that people have experienced in trying to access mental health services since the beginning of lockdown.
We'll hear from Joe Williams from Pontypridd, who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, who is worried that her condition may worsen after receiving far less support from health services during the lockdown period.
Later the same evening, at 9.30pm, Ken Hughes: Yn Cadw Ni Fynd will shed light on how Ken, a former head teacher, is coping as he self isolates alone at home.
During the programme, Ken will be speaking with close family and friends online, as he tries to keep a positive mind frame and attempt to learn a new skill.
Throughout the week, Hansh will be providing a platform for a range of subjects associated with mental health, including anxiety, mindfulness, staying sober, gaslighting, and how the contraceptive pill can affect an individual's mental health.
Also, Elen Gwen Williams will be speaking about mental health problems that farmers face, in the #MeddwlMercher video, and a podcast will be released discussing the topic of grieving.
During the week on Stwnsh, Mali Hughes will be encouraging children to try out some yoga moves and share their vidos on the Fideo Fi (My Video) page on the Stwnsh website, www.s4c.cymru/en/stwnsh/fideo-fi .
On Cyw, the song of the week will be Can Teimladau (Feelings Song), and Shwshaswyn, the mindfulness series for younger children, will be shown on Wednesday and Friday morning.
A wide selection of content, offering the latest news and stories from viewers during the COVID-19 pandemic, can also be found on the Yma i Chi channel on S4C Clic. As well as the latest news and current affairs programmes, the channel is home to classics from the archive and a variety of short films offering help and advice.
Amanda Rees, S4C Content Director, said: "As a national broadcaster, it's important that S4C raises awareness about mental health, by sharing people's experiences of their problems and showing how they cope.
"It seems everyone is under more strain that usual during these difficult times, and there is more emphasis than ever on being kind to one another and looking after each other.
"I hope that the programmes being shown during Mental Health Awareness Week will offer our viewers support, reassurance and comfort."
