Lewis White, External Affairs Intern, Money and Mental Health

Introducing: Lewis White

7 August 2024

  • Lewis White has joined the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute as an External Affairs Intern.
  • Having personal experience of mental health problems, Lewis studied Psychology at university before starting work on a psychiatric intensive care unit.
  • Working in a psychiatric care setting for over 3 years, he saw the way in which money and mental health problems intertwine to create a vicious cycle.
  • Lewis is excited to get stuck into the work of breaking the link between money and mental problems.

It’s rare to start a new job and immediately feel like you belong, but that has been my experience of joining Money and Mental Health. I feel grateful to join a team where everyone is welcoming and supportive, and so after only a few days I feel comfortable in a way that took months to achieve at previous workplaces. Already, I have had the opportunity to compile daily press updates and support the team with posts for social media, as well as learn more about the stakeholders that we work alongside. 

The past week has confirmed what I suspected right away from my interview – that the charity embodies the values internally of all the work it does externally. Supporting people with mental health and financial problems isn’t something which is distant and lost in research and policy recommendations, but rather something that starts at home by creating a supportive environment for everyone at the charity. 

Making the personal professional

Mental health difficulties have always been personal for me. From a young age I experienced bouts of depression and anxiety, and have had to access mental health support services intermittently. Alongside this I have supported those close to me through similar mental health difficulties. From all of this I have an intimate understanding of some of the struggles people with mental health issues in this country face, and how these struggles can be lessened or exacerbated. 

Given my relationship to, and understanding of, mental health issues, I have long since wanted to work towards making things easier for those struggling the most. With that in mind, I studied Psychology at undergraduate level, before working on a psychiatric intensive care unit from 2020.

Inpatient psychiatric care

While I had a good understanding of some of the more common mental health problems people face, going to work on a psychiatric intensive care unit showed me just how severe and challenging these problems can become. 

On inpatient psychiatric units, the link between money and mental health becomes all too plain. It opened my eyes to just how much financial difficulties can intertwine with mental health problems, and how this can create a vicious cycle. What was more striking was the relatively low amount of support for financial difficulties, which led to people struggling to recover from their mental health problems and – more often than not – relapsing.

Looking forward

Which brings me to now: I have decided that the best way forward in my career is campaigning for structural change that helps people stay out of this vicious cycle. I have a fire in my belly to support Money and Mental Health to break the link between financial difficulty and mental health problems. 

I am excited to support the external affairs team in their communications, campaigns, and events. I am particularly interested in the charity’s upcoming report looking at hostile debt collection practices in the public sector, so  I’m hopeful to see the national government make steps towards meaningful change.