People struggling following the death of the Queen are being offered advice and support regarding their mental health, grief, anxiety and how to help children cope with the news.
Mind said coverage of the Queen’s death may “bring up a range of emotions” and it wants to offer support to anyone struggling.
The charity said: “For some of us, the news may bring up feelings of personal grief and loss.
“Some may feel that this adds more uncertainty to an already unsettling time for the nation.
“However you’re feeling, it’s OK.”
It added: “You may be experiencing difficult feelings that you might not fully understand.
“Even when we don’t know someone personally, we can still have feelings of grief for their loss.
“We may have felt connected to them, or their death may bring up feelings of uncertainty and change.
“It can also remind us of our own mortality or previous experiences of loss.”
The charity has a range of information on its website at https://www.mind.org.uk/.
It also has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am-6pm, Monday-Friday).
Mind resources on coping with feelings of anxiety can be found here: https://www.mind.org.uk/anxiety.
Cruse Bereavement Support has also issued advice, with its helpline offering extended hours over the period of national mourning.
It said people may be grieving the Queen because they feel like they knew her, she is someone they truly admired, or because the world now feels changed.
Her death may also have reminded them of their own losses.
The charity said: “It can sometimes feel surprising to grieve someone we didn’t know personally.
“It can even feel like we don’t have the right to be so upset.
“But there are many reasons why you and many millions of others might be affected.
“We’re here to help you make sense of how you’re feeling.”
It advises people to allow themselves to grieve, talk to someone, share feelings with others or sign a book of condolence, find personal ways to remember the Queen, and to take a break from the news if it is making them feel sad or anxious.
Cruse Bereavement Support can be accessed at www.cruse.org.uk/grief-for-her-majesty-the-queen. Its helpline is available on 0808 808 1677.
It comes as Action for Children issued advice on how to talk to children about grief and change.
Ruth Duckworth, a parenting coach from its Parent Talk service, said news of the Queen’s death may be causing “difficult emotions” for some children.
She said: “They might find that it brings up memories of their own loved ones who have died. Talking about things like death and illness can be challenging.
“There are a number of ways you can help your child to feel supported and understood during this time.
“These include using child-friendly explanations, limiting the amount of time spent watching the news and keeping your family routines as much as possible, as well as taking time to highlight all the positive things the Queen achieved.”
The charity’s one-to-one online chat service, which connects parents directly with a parenting coach, is available at www.parent-talk.org.uk.
