As part of our campaign, Better Mental Health - Let's Talk About it, we look at the support available for those caring for loved ones with mental health problems

The constant strain of providing care and attention, while juggling a hectic work schedule, can have latent and unintended consequences for carers' own physical and mental well-being.

However, one method that aims to help people looking after a loved one – giving them a chance to talk to others with similar experiences – is peer-to-peer support.

Dr Iain MacDonald is peer support volunteer co-ordinator at Time and Space, a project currently running in Clackmannanshire and Stirling, which deals with this very issue.

He believes the value of the system lies in the unique relationship that is established between peers and mentors.

He said: "When you visit a doctor, psychologist or health professional you are very much in an unequal position; they are the expert and you are the passive recipient or patient. 

"Peer support offers a different kind of skill-set – expertise by experience – which can complement the knowledge and expertise of health professionals. 

"Peer mentors are people who have been in your shoes, they have lived through and managed to cope with the same kind of problems which you are struggling with and can identify with what you are going through. 

"They use their own story as a positive inspiration to others not to despair and to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel and a future ahead of them. Their shared perspective and ability to empathise offers something different."

He added: "However, discussing things also requires time to do so. When people visit a GP they typically have about a 5-10 minute window to talk. This is very little time for someone to disclose a full and proper picture of what they are experiencing generally, but it is even harder if you are experiencing mental health problems or struggling with caring for someone who is.

"We know that GPs are overburdened with heavy workloads and simply do not have the time to provide a listening ear. 

"Peer support gives you the chance to do so; you can spend a couple of hours just getting things off your chest, or to talk about things in your life you want to improve upon, or just generally get the chance for some ‘me time’ and a coffee with someone who knows what it is like.

"Peer mentors know the feelings of guilt and frustration which can be overwhelming at times, and can offer help and support as an equal."

Peer-to-peer support aims to compliment the relationships people have with professional services and is about meeting someone on the same level.

One of the biggest benefits of the technique, according to Dr MacDonald, is helping people realise they are not alone in any given situation.

Although Time and Space is a pilot project, it has been growing steadily since it started in 2014 and now has 13 mentors, with 12 more due to undertake training.

It sees peers meeting with their mentors around every two weeks, in places like libraries or cafes, to have a chat and take time out from the caring role.

It also has the intention of helping people take control of what they want to do – often by getting them to think about their life, consider taking up old hobbies and more.

Dr MacDonald said: "Helping a loved one can be a hugely rewarding experience, but we need to be aware of the difficulties that it can also bring. 

"It can have a negative impact upon your own physical and mental health, a detrimental impact on family relationships and can lead to you feeling isolated and disconnected from family, friends and the wider community. 

"These issues can be amplified when caring and supporting a person with a mental health problem. Indeed, research has shown that 40 per cent of carers experience depression or psychological distress themselves. 

"One in five have to give up their own job to take on their caring role, and more than half of them end up in debt as a result."

He said that research shows ill-health "reduces significantly" when support is in place, but also thinks society has to revise its perception of such issues.

Mental health carers are not just those caring for people with long-term conditions – it affects relationships with spouses, brothers, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. 

He added: "There are also people who have mental health problems whilst working day in, day out in their jobs, but who are struggling to cope. It’s a problem in many family homes and can greatly alter the lives of those living with it."

To find out more about Time and Space or to get support, phone 01786 451 203, email peermentor@actioninmind.org.uk or contact them by post, Time and Space, 19 Dean Crescent, Riverside, Stirling, FK8 1UR.