personal statement in mental health nursing

Clearing Universities & Courses

Clearing advice.

Recommended Clearing Universities

Popular Course Categories

Take our quick degree quiz.

Find the ideal uni course for you with our Course Degree Quiz. Get answers in minutes!

Take our full degree quiz

Get more tailored course suggestions with our full Course Degree Quiz and apply with confidence.

Search by Type

Search by region.

Recommended Universities

The University of Law

London (Greater) · 93% Recommended

Heriot-Watt University

Scotland · 97% Recommended

Northeastern University - London

London (Greater) · 100% Recommended

Search Open Days

What's new at Uni Compare

Bangor University

Boost your employability with a Computer Science degree!

dBs Institute

Discover Music, Game, and Tech degrees at a premier UK institution.

Ranking Categories

Regional rankings.

More Rankings

Top 100 Universities

Taken from 131,500+ data points from students attending university to help future generations

About our Rankings

Discover university rankings devised from data collected from current students.

Guide Categories

Advice categories, recommended articles, popular statement examples, statement advice.

What to include in a Personal Statement

Personal Statement Tips

Personal statement example mental health nursing personal statement.

Study a top 10 Nursing Degree in the UK (GUG, 2024)

Unlock your potential with Nursing at Roehampton! Benefit from exceptional facilities and learn from seasoned clinical and academic experts.

Fully-funded Nursing degrees at Swansea University

Specialise in Nursing for adults, children, mental health or learning disabilities and join a community that makes a real difference to people's lives. Discover Nursing at Swansea University!

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

I am applying for a Mental Health Nursing degree because I want to help people who suffer from mental illness. With the skills I have acquired whilst working as a support worker and whilst studying a Health Professions course, I believe I will achieve my goal of going to university.

I gained some insight into a mental health career whilst working part-time as a support worker. The role includes writing care plans, interacting with the patients as well as carrying out ward rounds with a group of healthcare professionals.I would like to expand my knowledge further at a degree level and possibly higher. I’m also aware of the importance of treating people in a non-judgemental manner and to respect equality in a mental health setting such as working with employees and clients with different religious beliefs and different cultures. I feel it is important to use the Mental Health role to promote mental health illness to the public. I am convinced that mental illness is an area in which most people are uncomfortable either talking about or taking part in preventing and supporting those who suffer from mental issues. I have excellent communication skills which I have gained through working in care .For example when I am communicating with clients that have trouble speaking, I will use good body language and good eye contact. I sometimes use objects such as toys when they want to play or a spoon when it is time to eat. I learned to use documentation when working with clients as each individual client has a care plan that we use to write their daily notes such as personal care, activities and appointments with doctors. This helps the other employees during handover because they will know how to help the clients based on the documentation I have written. This has taught me the importance of communication and team work as it contributes to successfully support people who suffer from mental illness.

I have a stammer but I managed to enroll on a speech therapy program called McGuire program. The program gave me confidence and my speech has improved since then. The program made me face my fear of speaking. The program helped me to accept my speech problem and taught me to live with my stammer. One of the techniques used were, they made me speak to 100 strangers and disclosing to the strangers that “I have a stammer and I have been hiding for years but now I am happy as a stammerer and I now have gained control of my speech”. The program helped me to apply the skills I have learnt on the program and implement them directly to my mental health work for example , It taught me to empathise with people that suffer from mental illness and to always give consideration when communicating with them so that they can be comfortable communicating with me .

I was born and raised in South Africa and moved to England for career opportunities. I have had many family members who work in a mental health setting and I saw the satisfaction they receive from helping patients. I have also had family members suffer from mental health problems, but with my family member having experience with the mental health professional experience, they were able to offer advice on how they can be treated. That inspired me to pursue a career in mental health. I know that studying Mental Health Nursing at university will be challenging because health care professionals must have the ability to make decisions, show compassion and support the diverse needs of individuals in their care. The role will test my skills and abilities however I am confident that I can meet these challenges and choosing nursing will help me fulfil my ambition of supporting and treating others in a mental healthcare environment.

Recommended Course

Recommended Statements

Submitted by anonymous

Child Nursing Personal Statement

Child Nursing requires respons...

Submitted by Ben

Nursing Personal Statement

I am interested in becoming an adult nurse because I want to feel a high level of job satisfaction in a re...

Submitted by Susan

Adult Nursing Personal Statement

My ambition is to study Adult Nursing in university. Since I was a young girl it has been my dream to help...

Submitted by Mary

Moving from Finland to the UK to start sixth form was a great decision as it allowed me to study the subje...

undergraduate Universities

Undergraduate uni's.

126 courses

Heriot-Watt Uni

337 courses

Northeastern Uni

Uni of Chester

630 courses

467 courses

Uni of East London

570 courses

893 courses

Uni of Sunderland

332 courses

Uni of Westminster

515 courses

Uni of Roehampton

468 courses

Cardiff Met Uni

500 courses

West London IoT

Uni of Bradford

393 courses

Uni of Winchester

258 courses

Ravensbourne

103 courses

Uni of Kent

588 courses

Staffordshire Uni

478 courses

Uni of Leicester

436 courses

Uni of Surrey

740 courses

Middlesex Uni

670 courses

Swansea Uni

1360 courses

Uni for Creative Arts

610 courses

Leeds Beckett Uni

459 courses

Coventry Uni

780 courses

Goldsmiths, UOL

342 courses

Uni of Hertfordshire

598 courses

Queen's Uni

634 courses

Escape Studios

Uni of Bedfordshire

651 courses

Leeds Arts University

Uni of Suffolk

222 courses

UWE, Bristol

495 courses

Wrexham Uni

294 courses

Bath Spa Uni

512 courses

Uni of Huddersfield

784 courses

826 courses

Uni of Reading

692 courses

709 courses

Uni of Hull

Highlands & Islands

451 courses

Kingston Uni

619 courses

Uni of Essex

1397 courses

Uni of Portsmouth

779 courses

Anglia Ruskin Uni

876 courses

Uni of C.Lancashire

795 courses

Uni of Brighton

521 courses

Nottingham Trent

930 courses

ARU Writtle

Edge Hill Uni

400 courses

FIND THE IDEAL COURSE FOR YOU

Degree Course Quiz

Find the ideal university course for you in minutes by taking our degree matchmaker quiz today.

Find the latest from Uni Compare

University of Law

Ranked Top 20 amongst English universities in the 2023 National Student Survey!

Northeastern Uni London

Want to earn two globally recognised degrees simultaneously? Look no further!

• AI Content Shield
• AI KW Research
• AI Assistant
• SEO Optimizer
• AI KW Clustering
• Customer reviews
• The NLO Revolution
• Press Center
• Help Center
• Content Resources
• Facebook Group

Personal Statement for Mental Health Nursing With Examples

Table of Contents

A personal statement for mental health nursing is one of the most vital parts of any nursing student’s application. 

Writing a personal statement for nursing shows you have an interest and a clear understanding of why you want to pursue the career. 

A great personal statement can help you stand out from other applicants and land the nursing school of your dreams. This article focuses on how to write a captivating nursing statement with great examples to learn from.

What Is a Personal Statement for Mental Health Nursing?

 A personal statement is integral to your application package for a mental health nursing position. It allows you to share your story and highlights why you are interested in a nursing career.

In addition, it showcases your experience working with patients with psychiatric problems and your ability to provide support and nurturing care.

How to Write a Captivating Personal Statement for Mental Health Nursing

When writing a personal nursing statement , many people find themselves at a loss for words. After all, you want to impress the admission committee with your skills and qualifications but don’t want to come across as boastful or insincere. So, where do you start?

The best way to approach writing your nursing statement is by researching what makes a successful one. 

What are the critical points that admissions committees are looking for? Focus on highlighting those same qualities in yourself.

Be sure to give concrete examples of how you have demonstrated these qualities in past experiences. It could be during volunteer work, internships, or jobs shadowing nurses’ etcetera. 

Finally, be authentic and honest – reflect who you truly are!

Personal Statement for Mental Health Nursing Examples

When writing a personal nursing statement, one of the trickiest things can be striking the right tone. It’s important to sound professional while still showing your personality and motivations for wanting to become a nurse. Here are some great examples from INK.

Nursing is a unique and challenging field that requires technical skill and compassion. I am interested in becoming a mental health nurse because it would allow me to support patients struggling with complex issues.

Mental health nurses must build strong relationships with their patients, empathize with them, and offer emotional support. I have experience working with people going through tough times, and I am confident that I can handle the challenges of this career path.

I am motivated by chance to make a difference in someone’s life, as I believe nursing is one of the most rewarding professions. Thank you for your consideration!

I became interested in nursing because I wanted to help people. I have always been drawn to the medical field and knew nursing was the right path for me. My mental health background has also played a role in my decision to pursue a career in nursing. I want to use my experience and knowledge to help those struggling with mental health.

Nursing is not only a challenging but also a gratifying profession. I am excited about the opportunity to work and make a difference in the lives of patients of all ages and backgrounds. Nursing is more than just a job; it is a calling, and I am passionate about positively impacting others through this career choice.

Personal statements for mental health nursing can be daunting because it requires a personal touch. Often, this is something that students might not know how to do on their own. 

If you struggle with personal statement writing, you can use INK to create a unique statement. 

Abir Ghenaiet

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

Explore All Write Personal Statement Articles

How to draft meaningful length of law school personal statement.

Are you confused on how to write a law school personal statement? One of the essential elements of your application…

• Write Personal Statement

Effective History and International Relations Personal Statement to Try

Are you considering studying history and international relations? Or you may be curious about what a degree in this field…

Guide to Quality Global Management Personal Statement

Are you applying for a global management program and want to stand out from the crowd? A well-written personal statement…

How to Draft Better Examples of Personal Statements for Residency

Achieving a residency can be a massive accomplishment for any aspiring medical professional. To secure your spot in one of…

Tips for Drafting a Free Example of Personal History Statement

A personal history statement can be crucial to many applications, from university admissions to job search processes. This blog will…

Writing Compelling Dietetic Internship Personal Statement

Applying for a dietetic internship is a rigorous process and requires submitting a personal statement, which is an essential part…

Student Good Guide

The best UK online resource for students

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Examples

Below are Mental Health Nursing Personal Statements examples . Hope it will help you write your UCAS personal statement for the university.

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

During my undergraduate studies in Physics, I found myself volunteering with the West London Mental Health NHS Trust. Here, I had the opportunity to apply my theoretical knowledge in a practical support role in a rehabilitation unit for mental health patients. I had always been interested in the workings of the mind, and this experience solidified my passion for the field.

Since 2009, I have worked extensively in caring services, specifically in mental health contexts. Through these experiences, I have gained valuable knowledge and skills in working with patients who have a range of mental health problems. I am now certain that I want to pursue a career in this field and believe that the Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Nursing will enhance my knowledge and prepare me for my future career.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I pursued a Master’s degree in Health Psychology. This academic foundation has provided me with a solid understanding of psychological problems. For my dissertations, I explored the effects of stress on health behaviours and self-esteem in university students and predictors of body image dissatisfaction, specifically the contribution of perfectionism and socio-cultural pressure to be thin.

Nursing for those with mental health problems requires more than academic knowledge; it also calls for practical skills, quick thinking, effective communication, and above all, human empathy. The opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those who are often locked into severe psychological conditions offers the prospect of true personal and professional fulfilment.

My early voluntary work brought me into contact with people whose mental health problems made it difficult for them to integrate into the community and the world of employment, as well as introduced me to the way the clinical team worked. In addition to my voluntary work, I also worked for Marie Stopes International as a Healthcare Assistant, where I gained experience in clinical procedures and learnt about the need for a tactful and sensitive approach to patients and the importance of working within the framework of a medical team.

Since completing my Master’s degree, I have worked for East London NHS Foundation in the Mental Health Division, first as a Social Therapist and currently as an Assistant Practitioner. In my current role, I build beneficial and therapeutic relationships with adults with acute and chronic mental health problems, devise the most appropriate intervention procedures for their welfare, and provide vocational and employment support alongside activities and group work.

I assist the Psychologist and the Occupational Therapist with group therapy sessions and activities to promote anger management and relaxation. I also work with the nursing staff in developing treatment packages to suit individual needs and encourage patients to take responsibility for their own recovery. I sometimes work with young people where good communication skills are essential in building positive and therapeutic relationships.

My substantial experience in the treatment of the mentally ill has left me with no doubt that I can make a difference in people’s lives, particularly in the lives of those who are so sadly disabled by their conditions. However, I am also aware of the challenges of this work and the importance of maintaining a sense of perspective to provide productive care. I am hard-working, enthusiastic about my career, and possess strong analytical skills. I work well under pressure and enjoy being part of a clinical team. I am committed to my goal and believe I have the necessary qualities to become a successful Mental Health Nurse.

Read other Nursing Personal Statement Examples

Band 5 Mental Health Nurse Personal Statement Example

My ambition to become a mental health nurse stems from my own experiences of enduring mental health conditions since childhood. Going through various treatments has given me insight into managing mental health issues and supporting others with conditions like dementia, schizophrenia, anxiety and depression, which I have encountered through volunteer and work experience.

Studying English Language and Health and Social Care has provided me with biological, psychological and practical knowledge about speech, language and dementia. Role-playing and work experience at a care home allowed me to assist dementia patients using visual aids to help them remember their interests and loved ones. A report on dementia and studying psychology and the nervous system gave me a theoretical understanding.

Volunteering at a centre for people with physical and mental disabilities has allowed me to gain experience in art therapy, music therapy, life skills and physiotherapy. I achieved a Level 6 qualification in horse riding instruction and have a Level 1 certificate in British Sign Language to assist non-verbal service users. Work experience at a solicitor’s firm handling Power of Attorney cases showed me the legal aspects of mental health.

I have completed emergency first aid at work and served on my college’s Student Union, organising charity events and promoting equality. I have written for the college magazine.

I want to professionally learn how to manage mental health and understand biological theories. After graduating, I hope to pursue clinical research, applying the research methods from my sociology course in a sociolinguistic project.

Despite progress, the stigmatisation of mental health persists. As a nurse, I would advocate for patients, support the vulnerable and treat all equally. My course has given me communication, reflection and basic medical skills to meet nursing demands.

A 100-hour placement at a supported living centre gave me insight into schizophrenia and person-centred care. I learned the importance of medication management, confidentiality and multidisciplinary teamwork. Researching recent guidelines like No Health Without Mental Health highlighted the need to consider physical and mental health together. Outside studying, I enjoy exercise and volunteering. I hope to work in community mental health, using my experience and commitment to person-centred care to aid recovery. My skills, knowledge and determination will help me become a successful mental health nurse.

This personal statement highlights the key relevant areas for a Band 5 mental health nurse application – your experiences, skills, knowledge, dedication and career ambitions. The content and structure are coherent while keeping within the specified word count. Please let me know if you would like me to clarify or expand on any part of this revised personal statement further.

How To Write A Personal Statement For Mental Health Nursing

If the examples are not enough for you, here are some tips and steps on how to write a personal statement for a Mental Health Nursing course. 

• Focus on your relevant experience . Highlight your experience in health care, mental health care, or roles supporting vulnerable groups. Discuss what you learned and how it motivates you to become a mental health nurse.
• Discuss your key skills . Emphasise skills like communication, compassion, patience, teamwork, and decision-making. Provide examples of where you have demonstrated these skills. Explain how these skills will make you a good mental health nurse.
• Show your passion for nursing . Express your genuine interest and passion for mental health nursing. Discuss why you want to pursue this career path, your desire to help vulnerable people, your interest in health care, etc. Your passion and motivation should shine through.
• Outline your career goals . Discuss your short and long-term career goals and how the mental health nursing programme will enable you to achieve them. Explain how you hope to progress, e.g. taking additional courses or management roles. This shows your motivation and enthusiasm.
• Explain why you’re a strong candidate . Summarise your key qualities, skills, experiences and knowledge that make you an excellent candidate for the mental health nursing programme. Reiterate your passion for the role. With preparation and hard work, convey your potential to become an accomplished mental health nurse.
• Review and proofread. Ask others to review your personal statement and provide feedback. Edit and proofread thoroughly. Double-check for any errors before submitting. Your personal statement represents you, so make sure it is compelling and clear, concise, and error-free.
• Be authentic . Most importantly, be genuine in your personal statement. Mental health nursing requires strong interpersonal qualities. Let your true motivations, passion, and personality shine through in your writing. Admissions staff will be able to see your authenticity.

Other Personal Statement Examples

• Animal Science Personal Statement Examples
• Anthropology personal statement examples
• Statistics Personal Statements
• PPE Oxford Personal Statement Example
• Classics Personal Statement Examples
• Theology Personal Statement Examples
• Physics Personal Statement Examples
• Chemical Engineering personal statement examples
• Oncology Personal Statement Examples
• Psychiatry Personal Statement Examples
• Earth Sciences Personal Statement Example
• History Personal Statement Examples
• Veterinary Personal Statement Examples For University
• Civil Engineering Personal Statement Examples
• User Experience Design Personal Statement Example
• Finance Personal Statement Examples
• Neuroscience Personal Statement Examples
• Graphic Design Personal Statement Examples
• Film Production Personal Statement Examples
• Events Management Personal Statement Examples
• Counselling Personal Statement Examples
• Forensic Science Personal Statement Examples
• Children’s Nursing Personal Statement Examples
• Chemistry Personal Statement Examples
• Sports Science Personal Statement Examples
• Mechanical Engineering Personal Statement Examples
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering Personal Statement Examples
• Quantity Surveying Personal Statement Examples
• Social Work Personal Statement Examples
• Physiotherapy Personal Statement Examples
• Journalism Personal Statement Examples
• English Literature Personal Statement Examples
• Marketing Personal Statement Examples
• Computer Science Personal Statement Examples
• Fashion Marketing Personal Statement Examples
• Dietetic Personal Statement Examples
• Product Design Personal Statement Examples
• Aerospace Engineering Personal Statement Examples
• Geography Personal Statement Examples
• Business Management Personal Statement Examples
• Politics Personal Statement Examples
• Psychology Personal Statement Examples
• Oxbridge Personal Statement Examples
• Zoology Personal Statement Example
• Sociology Personal Statement Example
• Fashion Personal Statement Example
• Mathematics Personal Statement Examples
• Software Engineering Personal Statement Examples
• Philosophy Personal Statement
• International Relations Personal Statement Example
• Biochemistry Personal Statement Example
• Dentistry Personal Statement Examples
• Midwifery Personal Statement
• Law Personal Statement Example
• Medicine Personal Statement for Cambridge
• ICT Personal Statement
• Primary Teacher PGCE Personal Statement
• PGCE Personal Statement Example
• Games Design Personal Statement
• Paramedic Science Personal Statement Examples

Understanding the Role of a Mental Health Nurse

• Job Opportunities

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of those living with mental health problems? A mental health nurse plays a crucial role in supporting and caring for individuals dealing with various mental health challenges. Crafting an outstanding mental health nurse personal statement can help you stand out from the competition and secure your place in this rewarding profession. In this blog post, we’ll explore the essential components of a successful mental health nurse personal statement, discuss the balance between adult and child nursing perspectives, and provide valuable tips to help you craft a captivating personal statement that showcases your unique skills and experiences.

Short Summary

Showcase your motivation, knowledge, and experience in mental health nursing to stand out from other applicants.

Highlight unique attributes, skills, and qualifications to demonstrate the potential for success.

Proofread and revise carefully to create a powerful personal statement with a motivating tone.

A mental health nurse is responsible for providing care to patients suffering from mental health problems, working closely with other healthcare professionals to develop and implement treatment plans and ensure the best possible care for their patients. Mental health nurses can work in various settings, such as general practitioner clinics, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, or community mental health services.

The role of a mental health nurse encompasses several key aspects, including assessing and diagnosing mental health problems, developing individualised care plans, and providing personal care and support. Let’s take a closer look at each of these areas.

Assessing and diagnosing mental health problems

Assessing mental health problems is a crucial first step in delivering effective care. It involves a collaborative process between the patient and mental health professionals to:

Gather information

Conduct physical exams

Diagnose or rule out suspected mental health disorders

Connect the patient with appropriate mental health providers.

Through working as a healthcare assistant in the role of a support worker, the applicant gained valuable skills in writing care plans, interacting with patients professionally, and carrying out successful ward rounds with a team of healthcare professionals.

Developing individualized care plans

Individualised care plans are an essential component of mental health nursing, as they ensure that each patient receives care tailored to their specific needs and goals. These care plans are legal documents outlining the agreed-upon treatment for each patient, taking into account their unique circumstances.

The applicant applied their knowledge of documentation to create and maintain individualized care plans for each client, including daily notes on personal care, activities, and appointments with doctors.

Providing personal care and support

Mental health nurses play a vital role in providing personal care and support to patients. Their responsibilities include:

Conducting observations

Serving food

Assisting with personal care

Helping the nurse in charge with medication observations

These tasks ensure that the patient’s physical, emotional, and social needs are met.

The applicant strongly believes in treating people in a mental health setting with respect and equality, without judgment. This compassionate approach helps build trust and rapport with patients, creating a safe and supportive environment for their recovery.

The Importance of a Strong Personal Statement

A compelling mental health nursing personal statement is invaluable for showcasing your motivation, dedication, knowledge, and experience in the field. It provides an opportunity to:

Highlight your unique qualities

Demonstrate your understanding of the role

Emphasize your commitment to providing exceptional care to those living with mental health problems

Real-life experiences, such as the author’s work in a forensic mental hospital, can provide a strong foundation for your personal statement, allowing you to demonstrate the depth of your understanding and passion for mental health nursing. By sharing these experiences and the lessons learned, you can give your personal statement a powerful and authentic voice that sets you apart from the competition.

Showcasing your motivation and dedication

Your personal statement is an opportunity to highlight the motivation and dedication that drive your passion for mental health nursing. By discussing your personal experiences, the challenges you’ve faced, and the successes you’ve achieved, you can demonstrate your commitment to providing exceptional care and support to those in need.

Sharing your journey and the experiences that have shaped your desire to pursue mental health nursing will help paint a vivid picture of your dedication and determination to excel in this field.

Illustrating your knowledge and experience

A well-crafted personal statement should clearly illustrate your knowledge and experience in mental health nursing. This can be done by providing specific examples of your past work, education, or training that demonstrate how you’ve developed the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in this profession.

By showcasing your expertise and understanding of mental health nursing, you can effectively convey your readiness and enthusiasm for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Setting yourself apart from other applicants

Your personal statement is a chance to set yourself apart from other applicants by highlighting the unique skills, experiences, and qualities that make you an exceptional candidate for a mental health nursing program. This can include discussing any special projects you’ve worked on, awards you’ve won, or unique experiences that have shaped your growth and development in the field.

By focusing on what sets you apart from others, you can create a memorable and impactful personal statement that resonates with admissions committees and showcases your potential for success in mental health nursing.

Key Components of an Effective Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

An effective mental health nursing personal statement should clearly communicate your personal motivation, relevant skills, and unique traits that make you an ideal candidate for this rewarding profession. By carefully considering the key components of an effective personal statement, you can ensure that your application stands out from the competition and highlights your commitment to providing exceptional care to those living with mental health problems.

Your personal statement should demonstrate your understanding of the challenges faced by those living with mental health issues, including mental illness.

Personal experiences and background

Sharing your personal experiences and background in your mental health nursing personal statement is an essential component for showcasing your passion, dedication, and understanding of the field. By discussing your journey and the experiences that have shaped your desire to pursue mental health nursing, you can create a powerful and authentic narrative that resonates with admissions committees and sets you apart from other applicants.

Your personal statement should be an honest reflection of your journey and the reasons why you are passionate about what you do.

Relevant skills and qualifications

Highlighting your relevant skills and qualifications in your mental health nursing personal statement is crucial for demonstrating your readiness and ability to excel in this profession. Be sure to showcase the specific skills you’ve acquired that are relevant to the job or program, such as:

Communication

Problem-solving

By focusing on your strengths and achievements, you can effectively convey your potential for success in mental health nursing.

Future goals and aspirations in the mental health sector

Discussing your future goals and aspirations in the mental health sector can help paint a vivid picture of your commitment and dedication to this field. By highlighting specific areas of interest within the mental health sector and how you plan to contribute to these areas, you can demonstrate your passion and determination to make a positive impact on the lives of those living with mental health problems. Pursuing a mental health degree can be a significant step towards achieving these goals.

Your goals and aspirations should be tailored to the specific needs of the mental health sector.

Balancing Adult and Child Nursing Perspectives

In a mental health nursing personal statement, it’s essential to strike a balance between adult and child nursing perspectives. This ensures that you are able to provide the best care possible to patients of all ages while being mindful of the specialized needs of each age group.

By considering both adult nursing and child nursing perspectives, you can demonstrate your adaptability and versatility in providing effective care to a diverse range of patients.

Understanding the differing needs of adults and children

Adults and children have different needs in terms of physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development. Children require more assistance from adults in an emergency, have distinct nutritional needs, and are still in the process of growing and developing. On the other hand, adults have acquired social rules and values, while children are still mastering social skills.

Gaining a deep understanding of the differing needs of such patients is crucial for providing effective and compassionate care to patients of all ages.

Demonstrating adaptability and versatility

Adaptability and versatility are essential qualities for any mental health nurse, as they allow you to:

Confidently approach different situations and environments

Embrace new tasks and responsibilities

Adjust your approach according to the unique needs of each patient.

By demonstrating your adaptability and versatility in your personal statement, you can effectively convey your ability to provide the highest quality of care to patients of all ages, regardless of their specific needs or challenges.

Highlighting the benefits of a combined approach

A combined approach to mental health treatment, such as combining different types of therapies or treatments, has been proven to be more successful than utilizing only one type of treatment. This is especially true for mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, where medication alone may not be sufficient to provide the desired outcome for those experiencing mental illness.

By showcasing your understanding of the benefits of a combined approach in your personal statement, you can demonstrate your commitment to providing the most effective care possible to patients in need.

Emphasizing a Tactful and Sensitive Approach

It is important to demonstrate that you understand the importance of creating a safe and supportive environment for patients.

A tactful and sensitive approach is essential in mental health nursing, as it helps to foster trust and rapport with patients, which is a crucial part of successful treatment. By emphasizing the importance of a tactful and sensitive approach in your personal statement, you can effectively convey your commitment to providing compassionate and respectful care to those living with mental health problems.

Building rapport and trust with patients

Building rapport and trust with patients is essential for providing the best care possible. Effective communication, including active listening, empathy, and using supportive language, is the foundation for building trust and rapport with patients.

By demonstrating your ability to communicate effectively and connect with patients on a personal level, you can show your commitment to their well-being and foster a strong therapeutic relationship.

Supporting patients through challenging times

Supporting patients through challenging times is a vital aspect of mental health nursing. By providing practical assistance, compassionate listening, and understanding, you can make a significant difference in the lives of those facing difficult situations.

Emphasising your ability to provide emotional support and guidance to patients during challenging times in your personal statement can effectively convey your dedication to their well-being and recovery.

Advocating for patient rights and wellbeing

Advocating for patient rights and well-being is a crucial responsibility for mental health nurses. By treating patients with respect, dignity, and understanding, you can ensure that their rights are safeguarded and their needs are met.

In your personal statement, emphasize your commitment to advocating for patient rights and well-being, demonstrating your dedication to providing the highest quality of care to those living with mental health problems.

Real-Life Examples and Success Stories

Real-life examples and success stories can provide valuable insights and inspiration for your mental health nursing personal statement. For instance, Michelle’s incredible success story of overcoming her disability and living independently showcases the power of determination and resilience in the face of adversity, ultimately leading her towards a more normal life.

Additionally, organizations like Time to Change and Richmond Fellowship have made significant strides in promoting mental health awareness and providing support to those in need. By incorporating these examples into your personal statement, you can help demonstrate your commitment to making a difference in the lives of those living with mental health problems and promote mental health illness awareness.

Tips for Writing an Outstanding Personal Statement

Creating an outstanding mental health nursing personal statement requires careful planning, attention to detail, and a genuine passion for the field. In this section, we’ll provide some helpful tips to guide you in crafting a captivating personal statement that showcases your unique skills and experiences.

Start by brainstorming your experiences and qualifications that make you a great candidate for the program. Think about it.

Conduct thorough research

Conducting thorough research on the mental health nursing field is essential for crafting a well-informed personal statement. This research can help you gain a deeper understanding of the profession, current trends and challenges, and the specific requirements of the program or institution to which you are applying.

By incorporating your research findings into your personal statement, you can demonstrate your commitment to staying informed and up-to-date in the field of mental health nursing.

Be genuine and authentic

Being genuine and authentic in your personal statement is crucial for creating a powerful and impactful narrative. Share your personal experiences, challenges, and successes in a way that reflects your true passion for mental health nursing and your commitment to providing exceptional care to those in need.

By being honest and genuine in your writing, you can create a personal statement that resonates with admissions committees and showcases your potential for success in the mental health nursing profession.

Proofread and revise

Proofreading and revising your personal statement is an essential step in ensuring that it is error-free and effectively communicates your message. Take the time to carefully read through your statement, checking for any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors, as well as ensuring that your writing is clear and concise.

By meticulously proofreading and revising your personal statement, you can ensure that it accurately reflects your skills, experiences, and passion for mental health nursing.

In conclusion, crafting an outstanding mental health nursing personal statement is a crucial step in securing your place in this rewarding profession. By understanding the role of a mental health nurse, emphasising the importance of a strong personal statement, and incorporating the key components of an effective personal statement, you can create a captivating and impactful narrative that showcases your unique skills, experiences, and dedication to providing exceptional care to those living with mental health problems. With passion, perseverance, and a commitment to excellence, you can make a lasting difference in the lives of those who need it most.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you write a personal statement for a mental health nurse.

I’m passionate about helping people who suffer from mental illness and am applying for a Mental Health Nursing degree to achieve my goal of going to university. With my acquired skills as a support worker and while studying Health Professions, I believe I’m capable of succeeding in this field.

What should be included in a personal statement for a nurse?

Your personal statement should demonstrate your knowledge of nursing and the healthcare industry, as well as your understanding of the role of a nurse and its associated tasks. Provide evidence to support your claims of having the necessary skills and values to be a successful nurse, and explain why you’re a suitable candidate for the course.

Use a motivating tone and draw a clear conclusion in the first sentence. This should be the main focus of your statement, as it will be the first thing the admissions team reads. Make sure to include relevant examples and experiences to back up your claims.

What are the primary responsibilities of a mental health nurse?

As a mental health nurse, your primary responsibilities are to assess and diagnose mental health issues, create care plans tailored to each individual patient, and provide personal care and support.

These responsibilities require a deep understanding of mental health issues, as well as the ability to provide compassionate care and support to those in need. You must also be able to work with other healthcare professionals to ensure that the patient receives the best possible care.

How can I ensure a balance between adult and child nursing perspectives in my personal statement?

Showcase your ability to understand and adapt to the differing needs of adults and children in your personal statement to demonstrate a balance between adult and child nursing perspectives.

This can be done by highlighting your experience in both adult and child nursing, as well as any additional qualifications or training you have undertaken to further your knowledge in both areas.

You should also discuss any challenges you have faced in your life.

What are some real-life examples and success stories I can include in my mental health nursing personal statement?

Michelle’s story of overcoming her disability and living independently is a great example to include in your personal statement, as are the accomplishments of Time to Change and Richmond Fellowship for improving mental health awareness and providing support.

Time to Change and Richmond Fellowship have both made great strides in raising awareness of mental health issues and providing support to those who need it. They are both excellent examples to include in your personal statement.

MOST RECENT MMA POSTS

LATEST MMA Posts

Resource Library

Modern day anti-slavery policy, carbon reduction plan (crp), cookies policy, terms & conditions, privacy policy, mma healthcare, university of reading, united kingdom, contact number:, +441189879240.

Just added to your cart

How to Write a Compelling Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement: A Step-by-Step Guide

Mental health nursing is a challenging yet incredibly rewarding field that requires a unique set of skills and qualities. In your personal statement, be sure to highlight your empathy, communication skills, and ability to work under pressure. It's also important to demonstrate your understanding of the importance of mental health care and your commitment to making a difference in the lives of patients

The Mental Health Personal Statement Outline:

I. Introduction

• Explanation of the purpose and importance of mental health nursing
• Personal motivation for pursuing a career in mental health nursing

II. Relevant Experiences

• Overview of relevant educational background, including coursework and certifications
• Overview of relevant work experiences, including clinical rotations or internships
• Any additional experiences that highlight a passion for mental health nursing

III. Skills and Qualities

• Explanation of personal qualities that make one suited for mental health nursing, such as empathy, compassion, and patience
• Description of relevant skills, such as communication and problem-solving abilities
• Examples of times when these skills and qualities were demonstrated

IV. Career Goals

• Explanation of short- and long-term career goals in mental health nursing
• Description of how a specific nursing program or institution will help achieve those goals

V. Conclusion

• Recap of why mental health nursing is important and why one is suited for it
• Final thoughts on the importance of mental health nursing and the desire to make a positive impact on individuals and society as a whole

A Journey to Becoming a Mental Health Nurse: My Personal Statement Example

As someone who has always been passionate about mental health and helping others, I have decided to pursue a career in mental health nursing. After researching and learning more about the field, I am excited to begin my journey towards becoming a mental health nurse.

In this personal statement, I will outline my background, experiences, and goals, as well as discuss why I believe mental health nursing is a vital profession and how I plan to contribute to the field.

Background and Experiences I have always been drawn to the field of mental health, whether it was through volunteering at local mental health organizations or advocating for mental health awareness in my community. I have also personally witnessed the impact of mental illness on individuals and families, which has further fueled my desire to help those struggling with mental health issues.

In terms of education, I have completed a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, which has provided me with a solid foundation of knowledge and skills related to mental health. Throughout my undergraduate studies, I was involved in various research projects related to mental health, which allowed me to gain insight into the field and develop my research skills.

Furthermore, I have completed a mental health first aid course, which has taught me how to recognize and respond to individuals who may be experiencing mental health issues. This course has also given me a greater understanding of the importance of early intervention and treatment for mental health issues.

Goals and Aspirations My ultimate goal as a mental health nurse is to provide compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals who are struggling with mental health issues. I hope to work in a variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient facilities, to gain a diverse range of experiences and develop a broad range of skills.

Additionally, I am interested in pursuing further education in the field, such as a Master's degree in Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, to deepen my knowledge and expertise. I am also interested in contributing to research in the field of mental health nursing, and hope to participate in research projects throughout my career.

Importance of Mental Health Nursing Mental health nursing is a vital profession, as it provides much-needed care and support to individuals who are struggling with mental health issues. Mental health nurses work with individuals across the lifespan, from children to the elderly, and provide a range of services including assessment, treatment, and education.

Furthermore, mental health nurses play a crucial role in reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and promoting mental health awareness. By educating the public and advocating for those struggling with mental health issues, mental health nurses are making a significant impact in the field of mental health.

Conclusion In conclusion, I am excited to begin my journey towards becoming a mental health nurse. My passion for mental health, combined with my education and experiences, has prepared me to take on the challenges and rewards of this vital profession. I am committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based care to those in need, and hope to make a positive impact in the field of mental health nursing.

Crafting a Compelling Personal Statement: The Vital Role of Mental Health Nursing

Introduction:

Mental health nursing is a critical and rewarding profession that plays a vital role in the healthcare industry. As a mental health nurse, you would work closely with patients who are experiencing a wide range of mental health issues, providing essential care and support to help them on their path to recovery. Crafting a compelling personal statement is crucial if you want to pursue a career in mental health nursing, as it can help you stand out from other applicants and demonstrate your passion and dedication to the field.

Discuss the importance of mental health nursing: Mental health nursing is a crucial field that is in high demand. Discuss the importance of mental health nurses in the healthcare industry, as well as the critical role they play in helping patients who are experiencing mental health issues.

Outline the key components of a personal statement: A strong personal statement should be concise, well-written, and clearly demonstrate your passion for mental health nursing. Discuss the key components of a personal statement, including your motivations for pursuing a career in mental health nursing, any relevant experience you have, and your future goals in the field.

Highlight the qualities that make a strong mental health nurse: As a mental health nurse, you must possess a variety of qualities to be successful in the field. These may include empathy, excellent communication skills, the ability to work well under pressure, and the capacity to manage your emotions and those of your patients. Discuss how you have developed these qualities and why they are essential in mental health nursing.

Offer tips for crafting a strong personal statement: Crafting a compelling personal statement can be challenging, so offer some tips and tricks to help applicants put their best foot forward. These may include starting with a strong opening statement, avoiding clichés, and tailoring your statement to the specific program or institution you are applying to.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, mental health nursing is a vital profession that plays a crucial role in the healthcare industry. Crafting a compelling personal statement is essential if you want to pursue a career in this field, as it can help you stand out from other applicants and demonstrate your passion and dedication to the field. By highlighting the importance of mental health nursing, outlining the key components of a personal statement, and offering tips for crafting a strong one, we hope to help aspiring mental health nurses achieve their career goals.

If you're considering applying for a mental health nursing program, a strong

• Share Share on Facebook
• Tweet Tweet on Twitter
• Pin it Pin on Pinterest
• Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
• Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.

• Personal statement advice: nursing

Applying to university

• Getting started
• UCAS Tariff points
• Calculate your UCAS Tariff points
• Amendments to the Tariff consultation
• Offer rate calculator
• How to use the offer rate calculator
• Understanding historical entry grades data
• Admissions tests
• Deferred entry
• Personal statement advice and example: computer science
• Personal statement advice: English
• Personal statement advice: Midwifery
• Personal statement advice: animal science
• Personal statement advice: biology
• Personal statement advice: business and management
• Personal statement advice: chemistry
• Personal statement advice: dance
• Personal statement advice: dentistry
• Personal statement advice: drama
• Personal statement advice: economics
• Personal statement advice: engineering
• Personal statement advice: geography
• Personal statement advice: history
• Personal statement advice: law
• Personal statement advice: maths
• Personal statement advice: media studies and journalism
• Personal statement advice: medicine
• Personal statement advice: modern languages
• Personal statement advice: music
• Personal statement advice: pharmacy
• Personal statement advice: physiotherapy
• Personal statement advice: politics
• Personal statement advice: psychology
• Personal statement advice: social work
• Personal statement advice: sociology
• Personal statement advice: sports science
• Personal statement advice: statistics
• Personal statement advice: teacher training and education
• Personal statement advice: veterinary medicine
• Personal statement: finance and accounting
• Filling in your application
• Staying safe online
• How to write a personal statement that works for multiple courses
• How To Write Your Undergraduate Personal Statement
• Fraud and similarity
• How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber
• How to end your personal statement
• Introducing the personal statement tool
• Personal statement dos and don'ts
• What to include in a personal statement
• Using AI and ChatGPT to help you with your personal statement
• Using your personal statement beyond a university application
• Carers, estranged students, refugees, asylum seekers, and those with limited leave to remain
• Personal statement guides
• References for mature students

With this in mind, your personal statement should demonstrate a clear understanding of what the role involves, the challenges you’ll face, and the kind of skills, qualities, and values required.

We've asked admissions tutors to share their top dos and don'ts for nursing personal statements, and asked a careers adviser to create an example of how to write about your work experience – here's what they told us.  

Nursing personal statement basics – what to include

To structure it, try to write clearly and reflectively about:

• how you arrived at your decision to go into nursing
• why, specifically, you want to be an adult, child, mental health, or learning disabilities nurse
• how your experience and research has contributed to your understanding of the realities and challenges you'll face
• what it is about your skills, attitudes, values, and character that make the profession right for you
• anything you feel is especially relevant about your academic studies, or maybe a project you've undertaken

Some universities will score your personal statement against their specific selection criteria. Make sure you take a look at individual university websites, as these criteria may be listed for you to refer to. Look for nursing courses in our search tool .

Writing about relevant experience

Try to build up as much experience or observation as you can. Ideally this should be in a care environment, such as a hospital, clinic, GP practice, school, residential care or the voluntary sector. Any other experience of working with people is helpful too.

Back up these experiences by carrying out some relevant background reading or research –  Health Careers is a good starting point . Just talking to nurses about their work will also be valuable.  Nurse Ewout talks about his route into nursing . If possible, get to some university open days , as they’re great for picking up new insights and asking questions.

Then, when you write about all this in your statement, try to explain and reflect on:

• what you’ve learned about some of the realities of nursing, the challenges, constraints, and frustrations you’ll face (rather than the rewards), and the skills, qualities, and values you’ll need
• how you’ve demonstrated some of those skills, qualities, and values yourself through your experience, extracurricular activities, personal interests or achievements

The latter could include the responsibility and commitment you’ve shown through:  

• voluntary work
• the teamwork and interpersonal skills you’ve developed in your part-time job
• the empathy you’ve shown as a student mentor
• the leadership you’ve displayed as a guide or scout
• something specific that happened on a Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expedition, and so on

Tip:  Don’t waste space in your statement explaining what a nurse does – they know that! But if you’ve found out for yourself how nurses manage, prescribe, evaluate or critically review evidence when making decisions, do reflect on that.  

Focus on the field of nursing you're interested in

Most nursing admissions tutors expect you to apply for one specific field only, such as adult or child.

They'll expect you to choose between nursing and midwifery courses rather than apply to both at the same time. However, one university told us that you wouldn’t automatically be rejected if you are genuinely interested in the crossover between two different fields (same for nursing and midwifery), so do check first. Some universities also offer dual-field courses but you'll need to demonstrate a realistic understanding of the field(s) you’ve chosen.

For example, if you’re applying specifically for mental health nursing, you might want to reflect on your ability to understand other people’s perspectives or to advocate on their behalf. Or if you feel it’s appropriate to reflect on your own experience of mental health then, as one admissions tutor told us, the key is to explain how this has motivated you to become a nurse yourself.

For child nursing, you might wish to demonstrate your awareness of the diverse range of children you will nurse and the kind of challenges you expect to face. Similarly, for adult or learning disability, you could reflect on what you’ve learned from your interactions with elderly people, or how you’ve supported someone with a learning disability yourself.

The key words are ‘demonstrate’ and ‘reflect’. It’s not enough just to say you understand something – you need to show what it was that led to your understanding. Then, as Moira Davies, nursing admissions tutor at University of South Wales, advises, ‘highlight the skills you have that are transferable to the field of nursing you have chosen’.

If you’re interested in learning more about midwifery, read our guide .

Accuracy is vital

Nhs constitution.

For all degree courses that involve training within an NHS setting, there is likely to be some emphasis on values based selection, and how applicants' own values and behaviours align with the seven core values of the NHS Constitution . Familiarise yourself with this while writing your personal statement.

For more personal statement advice and examples, check out all our personal statement advice including how to write a personal statement and how to start yours .

Sponsored articles UCAS Media Service

Do you need to take an english test to study at university in the uk, five reasons to sign up to the ucas newsletter, student finance for postgraduate loans.

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement Examples

• 1 Personal Statement Example Links
• 2 Career Opportunities
• 3 UK Admission Requirements
• 4 UK Earnings Potential For a Mental Health Nurse
• 5 Similar Courses in UK
• 6 UK Curriculum
• 7 Alumni Network

Personal Statement Example Links

• Personal Statement Example 1
• Personal Statement Example 2
• Personal Statement Example 3 (Pack of 10 examples)
• Personal Statement Example 4 (Two small examples)

Passionate about supporting individuals facing mental health challenges on their journey to recovery? Inspired to provide compassionate care, therapeutic interventions, and advocacy for those in need?

Pursuing a course in Mental Health Nursing can equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a meaningful impact in the lives of individuals experiencing mental health conditions, promoting well-being and resilience.

Mental health nursing students will gain an understanding of the various mental health issues and how to best provide care and support to those affected. They will also learn about the various treatments available, including psychotherapy, medication, and lifestyle changes, and how to best utilise these treatments to help their patients.

Additionally, students will gain an understanding of the legal and ethical considerations when working with mental health patients, as well as the importance of self-care for mental health professionals.

This university course provides students with the opportunity to gain the necessary skills and knowledge to become a successful mental health nurse, and to make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by mental health issues.

👍 When writing a personal statement : Highlight your passion for the course, demonstrating your understanding of it. Use relevant personal experiences, coursework, or work history to showcase how these have fostered your interest and readiness for the course.

Career Opportunities

Someone with a degree in mental health nursing can pursue a career in a variety of settings, including hospitals, mental health clinics, private practices, schools, community centers, and residential treatment centers.

In hospitals, mental health nurses are responsible for providing direct patient care, such as assessing and diagnosing mental health conditions, developing treatment plans, and providing counseling and psychotherapy. They may also be involved in administering medications, coordinating care with other healthcare professionals, and providing education and support to patients and their families.

In mental health clinics, mental health nurses may provide individual, group, and family therapy, as well as case management services. They may also be involved in crisis intervention, providing short-term counseling and support to individuals in crisis.

In private practise, mental health nurses may provide individual, family, and group therapy. They may also provide consultation services to other healthcare professionals and organizations, such as schools and community centers.

In schools , mental health nurses may provide counseling services to students, as well as consult with teachers and administrators on mental health issues. They may also provide crisis intervention services, as well as education and support to students and their families.

At community centres , mental health nurses may provide individual and group counseling services, as well as case management and crisis intervention services. They may also provide education and support to individuals and their families.

At residential treatment centres, mental health nurses may provide direct patient care including administering medication, monitoring patient progress, providing therapeutic interventions, and coordinating with a multidisciplinary team to develop and implement individualised treatment plans. They also often play a key role in providing education and support to patients and their families.

UK Admission Requirements

In order to be accepted into a Mental Health Nursing course in the UK, applicants must have a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C or above, including Maths, English, and a Science subject. In addition, applicants must have either a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care or a Level 3 Diploma in Nursing, or equivalent qualifications.

Applicants must also have achieved a minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points. This is typically equivalent to three A-Levels at grades BBC, or a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma at Distinction, Merit, Merit.

The entry criteria for Mental Health Nursing is similar to other university courses in the UK, such as Adult Nursing and Child Nursing. The entry criteria for these courses is also similar, with a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C or above, and a minimum of 120 UCAS Tariff points. However, the prerequisites for these courses may differ slightly, as Adult Nursing and Child Nursing may require a Level 3 Diploma in Nursing, whereas Mental Health Nursing may require a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social Care.

UK Earnings Potential For a Mental Health Nurse

The average salary for a mental health nurse in the UK is £30,000 per year. This figure is based on data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC).

In terms of trends in the job market, the demand for mental health nurses is increasing due to the rising prevalence of mental health issues in the population. The UK government has also announced plans to increase the number of mental health nurses by an additional 10,000 by 2021, which should further boost job opportunities for those with a degree in mental health nursing. Additionally, the NHS is offering a range of training and development opportunities for mental health nurses, which could lead to higher salaries in the future.

Similar Courses in UK

Other university courses related to Mental Health Nursing include:

1. Mental Health Nursing and Social Work: This course focuses on the integration of mental health nursing and social work. It explores the ways in which mental health nurses and social workers can work together to provide effective care for people with mental health problems. The course covers topics such as assessment and intervention, communication, and collaboration between professionals.

2. Mental Health and Wellbeing: This course explores the relationship between mental health and wellbeing. It examines the impact of mental health on physical health, social relationships, and overall quality of life. The course also looks at the role of mental health professionals in promoting wellbeing and preventing mental health problems.

3. Mental Health and Substance Misuse: This course focuses on the interaction between mental health and substance misuse. It examines the impact of substance misuse on mental health, and looks at the role of mental health professionals in helping people with substance misuse problems. The course also covers topics such as assessment and intervention, and the legal and ethical considerations of working with people with substance misuse problems.

The key differences between these courses and Mental Health Nursing are that they focus on different aspects of mental health. Mental Health Nursing focuses on the nursing care of people with mental health problems, while the other courses focus on the relationship between mental health and other topics such as social work, wellbeing, and substance misuse.

UK Curriculum

The Mental Health Nursing course typically covers a range of topics, including:

• Mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment

• Psychosocial interventions • Crisis intervention and management • Mental health promotion • Mental health law • Mental health research • Working with families and carers • Working with people with mental health problems • Working with people with learning disabilities • Working with people with substance misuse problems • Working with people with personality disorders • Working with people with dementia

In addition to the topics covered in the course, there is usually a range of hands-on experience and practical work involved. This may include:

• Clinical placements in mental health settings • Working with service users and carers • Participating in group work and activities • Working with multidisciplinary teams • Participating in role-play scenarios • Developing communication and interpersonal skills • Developing assessment and treatment skills • Working with service users to develop care plans • Developing therapeutic relationships • Developing reflective practice skills

Alumni Network

One notable alumni from the Mental Health Nursing course is Dr. Mary Ann Cohen . Dr. Cohen is a professor of nursing at the University of Pennsylvania and is an expert in the field of mental health nursing. She has published numerous articles and books on the subject, and her research has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other major publications. Dr. Cohen is also a frequent speaker at conferences and workshops on mental health nursing and is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.

The University of Pennsylvania offers a variety of alumni events and networking opportunities for graduates of the Mental Health Nursing course. These include the annual Mental Health Nursing Alumni Reception, which is held each year in the spring and provides an opportunity for alumni to reconnect and discuss their experiences in the field. Additionally, the university hosts a Mental Health Nursing Alumni Networking Event each year, which provides alumni with the opportunity to meet and network with other mental health nursing professionals.

Reach out to us for career and sponsorship opportunities

© 2024 Acrosophy Excellence in Application

A Medical MBA Company The Medical MBA Ltd Company number: 13561401 86-90 Paul Street, London, England, United Kingdom, EC2A 4NE

Mental Health Nursing BSc personal statement example

• Reading time: 4 minutes
• Price: Free download
• Published: 24th March 2024
• Word count: 961 words
• File format: Text

Choosing to specialise in Mental Health Nursing for my BSc is a decision deeply rooted in both personal experience and a profound commitment to make a tangible difference in the lives of those grappling with mental health challenges. From witnessing close family members navigate the complexities of mental illnesses to volunteering at local support groups, my life has been significantly shaped by the realm of mental health. These experiences have not only fostered a deep sense of empathy and understanding but have also ignited a passionate drive to embark on a career where I can contribute positively to individuals’ mental and emotional well-being.

The BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing stands out as an exceptional pathway to achieving this objective, combining rigorous academic training with invaluable practical experience. The accreditation by the Nursing and Midwifery Council assures me of the programme’s quality and its alignment with the highest professional standards. Moreover, the focus on acquiring a holistic skill set, from clinical competencies to emotional resilience, aligns perfectly with my aspiration to become a transformational mental health nurse.

What draws me particularly towards this programme is the breadth of practical experience it offers, encompassing a diverse range of healthcare and community settings. Recognising that mental health issues affect one in four individuals in the UK, the necessity for well-rounded and extensively trained mental health nurses has never been more critical. The emphasis on gaining essential practical experience through placements in different settings will provide me with a comprehensive understanding of the mental health landscape, enabling me to adapt my approach to suit a variety of clinical and community environments.

Moreover, the course’s commitment to teaching beyond traditional classroom boundaries, utilising state-of-the-art facilities such as the clinical skills suite and immersive suite, promises an engaging and effective learning experience. This innovative approach to education, simulating real-world scenarios, is instrumental in preparing students for the complexities of mental health nursing in a safe and supportive environment.

Another aspect of the programme that resonates with me is its holistic learning experience, designed to mould emotionally resilient and transformational Registered Nurses. Mental health nursing is as much about scientific knowledge as it is about compassion, understanding, and the ability to connect with people on a deeply personal level. The course’s structure, with its integration of classroom-based activities, skills laboratories, and technology-delivered instruction, is conducive to developing these crucial traits.

The opportunity for inter-professional learning is yet another facet of the course that excites me. Understanding that healthcare delivery increasingly relies on multi-professional teams, the programme’s focus on collaborative learning among students from various healthcare disciplines mirrors the real-world setting and prepares us for integrated healthcare delivery. This, combined with the chance to engage in field-specific learning as well as co-taught sessions across different nursing fields , underscores the programme’s comprehensive approach to mental health nursing education.

My engagement with mental health organisations and support groups has been a cornerstone of my journey towards pursuing a career in mental health nursing . One of the most impactful experiences was leading a series of workshops titled “Mindful Communication,” designed to equip individuals suffering from anxiety and depression with tools for better self-expression and self-management. In these sessions, participants were encouraged to explore and articulate their feelings through various mediums, including journaling and role-playing exercises, which fostered a deeper sense of self-awareness and empathy among group members.

Another significant workshop I facilitated was “Understanding Boundaries,” aimed at individuals recovering from substance abuse. The objective was to help participants understand the importance of setting healthy boundaries in personal relationships as a means of maintaining mental well-being. Through interactive activities, such as boundary-mapping exercises and group discussions, participants learned to identify and communicate their limits clearly and respectfully, a skill crucial for their recovery journey.

Additionally, I was involved in organising a mental health awareness campaign in collaboration with a local community centre, which included a series of public talks and information booths on topics such as recognising signs of mental health issues, stigma reduction, and promoting mental health resources. This experience underscored the importance of community engagement in mental health advocacy and provided me with invaluable experience in public speaking and organising large-scale events.

These volunteer activities have not only deepened my understanding of various mental health issues but have also refined my skills in leadership, communication, and empathy. Facilitating these group sessions and workshops has highlighted the critical role of patience, active listening, and creating a non-judgmental space for individuals to share their experiences. Such skills are indispensable in mental health nursing , where establishing a trusting and supportive environment is fundamental to effective care delivery. My hands-on experience in these roles has equipped me with a practical understanding of how to apply these principles in a clinical setting, preparing me for the challenges and responsibilities of a career in mental health nursing.

Looking forward, I am eager to immerse myself in the wide-ranging placement experiences offered by the programme. Participating in 24-hour care and benefiting from the guidance of Practice Assessors and Supervisors will be pivotal in applying theoretical knowledge to real-life practice. Additionally, the simulated learning activities throughout the programme promise to make the transition to clinical environments smoother and more confident.

In conclusion, my dedication to mental health advocacy and support, combined with a strong academic foundation and extracurricular experiences focused on mental health, underpins my commitment to pursuing a career in mental health nursing. The BSc (Hons) in Mental Health Nursing presents an unparalleled opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to excel in this rewarding and challenging field. I am fully prepared and eager to embark on this academic and professional journey, confident in my ability to contribute positively to the mental health sector and the lives of those affected by mental health issues.

Related personal statements:

• Sports and Exercise Science BSc
• Sport Science BSc (Hons) personal statement
• Emergency Medicine personal statement example (10)
• Medicine personal statement example (9)
• Medicine (Undergraduate) Personal Statement Example (8)
• Physiatry (Residency Program) Personal Statement Example
• Veterinary School Personal Statement Example
• Nursing Science and Healthcare Leadership MSc personal statement example
• Occupational therapy personal statement example
• Medicine example personal statement (7)

Review this personal statement:

Latest reviews:.

This example for writting a personal statemet on Mental Health Nursing were really helpful. I learned alot about how to share my experiences and why I’m so passionate about this field. It helped me feel more confident in my application, even thogh I struggle with writing sometimes.

Using this page as a guide made the daunting task of starting mine so much easire. It layed out what kind of things I should talk about, like my personal experiences and why I wanted to pursue nursing. I found it so usful, especialy since I’m not the best at spelling and grammar. It made putting my thoughts down less stressful.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Privacy Overview

• Health and Social Care Management
• Health and Social Care
• High Credit Courses
• Bachelors Degree
• Masters Degree
• ONLINE PAYMENT

Crafting Excellence: Personal Statement for Nursing Mental Health

• by [email protected]
• 11 January 2024 11 January 2024

Table of Contents

Introduction, key strategies for crafting your statement, crucial elements of a standout statement, insights into the field of mental health nursing.

Are you aspiring to become a mental health nurse? Unlock the secrets to crafting an exceptional personal statement that sets you apart. Dive into the art of self-expression and secure your spot in the world of nursing mental health.

Discover the strategies that turn your personal statement into a compelling narrative. From showcasing your passion for mental health nursing to highlighting your unique qualities, learn the art of leaving a lasting impression.

Navigate through the must-have elements that elevate your statement. Uncover the power of impactful storytelling, demonstrating empathy, and expressing your commitment to the challenges and rewards of mental health nursing.

Explore the fascinating world of mental health nursing and gain insights into the critical role you play. From addressing mental health challenges to contributing to a holistic approach, understand the impact you can make in this dynamic field.

Your journey to becoming a mental health nurse begins with a well-crafted personal statement. Embrace the opportunity to share your story and passion. Craft excellence and open the door to a fulfilling career.

Ready to embark on your mental health nursing journey? Visit Healthcarediploma.org for comprehensive guidance and resources to shape your future.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Clinical psychology

Psychotherapy, personality, how to write a mental health nursing personal statement (3 key points).

As a BetterHelp affiliate, we may receive compensation from BetterHelp if you purchase products or services through the links provided.

How to write a mental health nursing personal statement?

You need to remind yourself that you need to expect some revisions in writing your mental health nursing personal statement.

Start with who you are in your statement

This statement is your chance of telling the admissions officer what motivates you and your ambitions as a mental health nurse in the future.

This is where you should write your knowledge about nursing and healthcare which can help the admissions officer realize that you are worthy of being a nursing student.

When you have some experience in your healthcare setting, you need to indicate this experience and include every detail of your experience to make sure that the admissions officer will be impressed about your experience and make sure that you will have more experiences once you are inside the nursing course in the chosen college. 

Relevant experience and skills in mental health nursing

The following are some of the skills and qualities needed in mental health nurses:

You can also find some mental health nursing experiences when you had to take care of family members who had to go through a mental illness.

This can show the admissions officer that you have the willingness to help others and this starts by trying to work on people who you’re passionate to help.

Your ambitions and career goals in mental health nursing

What should you expect in a mental health nursing degree that you should imply in your mental health nursing personal statement.

You should also expect other activities and that this kind of statement is only the beginning of your mental health nursing course such as the following:

Why should I have a good mental health nursing personal statement?

You will also be introduced to different seminars which will be administered by professionals in the field who have gone through years of experience in the field.

In regards to financial concerns, you can earn a lot with this kind of career since it is relevant to nursing as a medical career.

There is a high possibility that you will be earning £22k in the beginning. 

This kind of earning can gradually rise to £70k for those who go on to become consultants of this career.

You can find yourself working in the NHS for this kind of career since this kind of centre can help you be exposed to different kinds of care whether you might be assigned to community healthcare or primary healthcare.

Conclusion 

In this brief blog, we have talked about mental health nursing personal statement, the contents in the mental health nursing personal statement, the purpose of the mental health nursing personal statement, and more information about the mental health nursing personal statement.

If you have any questions about mental health nursing personal statement, please let us know and the team will gladly answer your queries.

FAQs: mental health nursing personal statement

What should a nursing personal statement include.

A nursing personal statement includes your strengths and how you visualize yourself in the future as a nurse.

How do you start a personal statement for nursing?

What does a mental health nurse do, what are the 6 c’s of nursing.

The 6 C’s of nursing are care, competence, compassion, courage, communication, and commitment.

How do you begin a personal statement?

UCAS. Nursing.

Was this helpful?

Related posts, the healing power of empathy: how a conversation with an empath psychic can help you feel better, choosing the right nicotine pouch for your daily needs, building resilience: psychological strategies for helping children cope with challenges.

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

Sample Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

I have always been driven by a compassionate instinct that motivates me to work in a role that helps people. Through working as a nurse I have gained a more in-depth understanding of the different specialisms of the nursing professions and the different branches of our healthcare system, and as a result of this I have becoming increasingly aware of the importance of mental health nursing, which in my opinion is a vital branch of nursing that provides assistance to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. I am also aware that it is a highly demanding branch of nursing that requires very specific skills and personal qualities, and it is for this reason that I am applying for this one-year conversion course for mental health nursing.

I became a qualified nurse in 2009 after completing the undergraduate degree in Adult Nursing at the University of West London. I chose to study a general nursing degree instead of specializing earlier in mental health nursing because I thought that it was important to gain the widest possible ground in nursing practice and in turn develop an overall appreciation of the demands of nursing as a profession. It was a pleasure to study for my nursing degree, and I believe my completion of it demonstrates my aptitude for undertaking further, specialist nursing studies.

Since qualifying as a nurse I have been enjoying the challenges of working in the healthcare sector. For me it is a privilege to be able to work on the front line of helping to take care of people who are sick and in distress. I have been working at Ealing Hospital since 2009. At present I work in the rehabilitation ward of the hospital, a posting that brings me into contact on a daily basis with people who are recovering from the debilitating physical effects of conditions such as strokes, as well as working with people who have more general mobility problems. Working in this area of nursing has helped me to develop some of the qualities that I believe are essential to mental health nursing. For example, the process of attempting to recover mobility can be very arduous and frustrating for patients, and it is essential that the nurses who help them provide them with the highest possible levels of empathy and patience, at the same time ashelping the patients come to terms with the fact that the recovery process can be a slow one that it is counterproductive to rush.

I have also worked with patients suffering from mental health problems, and the experience has motivated me to specialize in this sector in the future. For the past three years I have carried out additional work with the West London Mental Health NHS Trust as a bank worker and a healthcare assistant, combining these shifts with my work at Ealing Hospital. The experience has made me aware of many of the issues that are unique to mental health nursing, such as the fact that it is essential to develop a bond of trust with patients. I have found that working in the mental health sector suits my personal temperament; I am a highly compassionate person who finds it particularly fulfilling to work with vulnerable people, and I have discovered that working as a mental health nurse is an ideal opportunity to do this.

Before qualifying as a nurse, I was a full-time mother to my children, an experience that I believe helped to encourage my inclination towards caring for people. As any mother will tell you, bringing up children demands patience, firmness and, above all, a compassionate nature. In addition to speaking English, I am a native speaker of Igbo and Yoruba. In my spare time, in addition to enjoying spending time with my husband and children I like to relax by practicing yoga, listening to music and volunteering with a range of charities.

We hope this sample Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement will be a useful guide for relevant content and structure for your own personal statement.

Personal Statement

• The Application Process
• UCAS Criteria
• Choosing a Degree
• Why is a Good Personal Statement Important?
• Your Personal Statement
• Example Personal Statements
• Personal Statement Help
• Personal Statement Format
• Points to Remember
• The UK Tuition Fees System
• Student Loans
• Student Finance
• Full Subjects List
• Disabled UCAS Applicants
• A-Level Results Day
• A Guide to Results Day
• Clearing & A Level Results Day
• A Guide to Clearing
• Visas to study in the UK
• Missed the January UCAS deadline?
• No University Offers…What Next?
• Interview Skills
• PGCE Interviews
• Applying to Oxbridge
• Before you go to University
• University Checklist
• Studying Abroad
• Applying to University Overseas
• Apply to study Internationally
• Preparing for Studying Abroad
• Benefits of Studying Abroad
• Taking a Gap Year
• Should You Take A Gap Year?
• Study Independently
• Choosing Accommodation

ADVERTISEMENTS

• Ask a question Ask
• go advanced Search
• Please enter a title
• Please enter a message
• Your discussion will live here... (Start typing, we will pick a forum for you) Please select a forum Change forum View more forums... View less forums... GCSEs A-levels Applications, Clearing and UCAS University Life Student Finance England Part-time and temporary employment Chat Everyday issues Friends, family and work Relationships Health News Student Surveys and Research
• post anonymously
• All study help
• Uni applications
• University and HE colleges
• University help and courses
• University student life

Postgraduate

• Careers and jobs
• Teacher training
• Finance and accountancy
• Relationships
• Sexual health
• Give feedback or report a problem
• University and university courses
• Universities and HE colleges
• Life and style
• Entertainment
• Debate and current affairs
• Careers and Jobs
• Scottish qualifications
• Foreign languages
• GCSE articles
• A-level articles
• Exam and revision articles
• What to do after GCSEs
• What to do after A-levels
• When is A-level results day 2024?
• When is GCSE results day 2024?
• Studying, revision and exam support
• Grow your Grades

Exam results articles and chat

• Exam results homepage
• A guide to GCSE and A-level grade boundaries
• Year 13 chat
• Year 12 chat
• Year 11 chat

A-level results

• Guide to A-level results day
• Get help preparing for results day
• A-level retakes and resits
• Exam reviews and remarks
• Here’s what to expect on A-level results day
• Six ways to help results day nerves
• Understanding your A-level results slip

GCSE results

• Guide to GCSE results day
• How GCSE combined science grades work
• Stressed about GCSE results day?
• Understanding your GCSE results slip

Finding a uni in Clearing

• Clearing articles and chat
• UK university contact details
• Guide to Clearing
• Seven things people get wrong about Clearing
• How to make a great Clearing call
• Finding accommodation after Clearing
• How Clearing can help you prepare for results day
• All universities
• Applying through Ucas
• Student finance
• Personal statement
• Postgraduate study
• Uni accommodation
• University life
• All uni courses
• Apprenticeships
• Arts and humanities courses
• Stem courses
• Social science courses

Universities by region

• North of England
• South of England
• Greater London
• Distance learning
• International study

University guides and articles

• All university articles
• Applying to uni articles
• Personal statements
• Personal statement examples
• University open days
• Studying law at university
• Student life at university
• Careers and jobs discussion
• Apprenticeships discussion
• Part-time and temp jobs
• Career forums by sector
• Armed forces careers
• Consultancy careers
• Finance careers
• Legal careers
• Marketing careers
• Medicine and healthcare careers
• Public sector careers
• Stem careers
• Teaching careers
• General chat
• Relationships chat
• Friends, family and colleagues
• Advice on everyday issues
• General health
• Mental health
• UK and world politics
• Educational debate

Undergraduate

• Postgraduate Master’s Loan
• Postgraduate Doctoral Loan
• Disabled Students’ Allowances
• Taking a break or withdrawing from your course

Further information

• Parents and partners
• Advanced Learner Loan
• Nursing personal statements

Personal Statement:Mental Health Nursing Statement

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement=

In the 21st century there is still a great deal of stigmatisation towards the one in four people with a mental health diagnosis. A career in mental health nursing would enable me to advocate on behalf of patients who face this stigmatisation, as well as support those who are at their most vulnerable in society to live as full a life as possible. As a mental health nurse I believe that it is important to be both empathic and eager to learn. Continual reflection on your personal practice, and understanding of the needs of others is essential, as well as treating patients without prejudice regardless of circumstance is vital. Through my present course of study, I have gained many transferable skills which I can continue to improve whilst training as a mental health nurse. These include the ability to effectively communicate therapeutically with service users using methods such active listening and observing the body language of a patient in order to build trust and rapport with a patient. I have also begun to develop my skills of reflection aiding the continual improvement of my theoretical knowledge as well as the improvement of my clinical skills. From my current course I have gained a basic knowledge of human anatomy, physiology and psychology. I feel that with this basic knowledge and the various transferable skills that I have gained, I have a strong basis to begin training as a mental health nurse and meet the standards necessary to study nursing at university level.

In May ,I undertook a one hundred hour placement in a supported living setting which was home for many service users with diagnoses of schizophrenia amongst other mental health diagnoses. This experience allowed me to gain first-hand knowledge of the experiences that mental health patients have in their everyday lives as part of their local community. Throughout this experience I gained an understanding of person centred care which helped me to understand that by involving a service users in their recovery plans at every step this greatly improves chances of a successful recovery. This experience allowed me to gain a basic knowledge of the importance of following policies in mental health care such as; ensuring medication is given correctly as well as understanding and working with confidentiality policies. In order to gain an insight into the current debates and issues in mental health care I decided to conduct some personal research to ensure that I have an up to date knowledge on current events in regards to mental health care. From this research I came across the recent No Health Without Mental Health guidelines, published in 2011 by the department of health.From these guidelines I have understood the importance of mental health nurses communicating effectively through multi-disciplinary teams and the need to ensure that a patient’s health is looked at as a whole; by considering both a patients physical and mental health together, as research shows that those with mental health diagnoses have a higher risk of having problems with their physical health than those without. Outside of my time studying I enjoy visiting my local gym and taking part in exercise classes as well as taking part in annual sponsored runs. I have also taken part in various volunteering activities in recent years including volunteering at a local charity shop throughout my Gsce and as level years and as a peer mentor for younger pupils in my final year of secondary school. After gaining registration as a mental health nurse I hope to work in the community; visiting patients’ homes and helping them throughout the recovery process in their local community. I am confident that with my past work experience, personal knowledge and skills as well as my determination to provide the best person centred care and support possible, that I have the passion necessary to study mental health nursing and be as successful as possible in helping those with mental health diagnoses.

Universities Applied to:

• UClan Offer (Pass my foundation degree ) Insurance
• Salford Withdrew
• LJMU Reserve list after interview
• Edge Hill Withdrew after interview

Grades Achieved:

Merit in Foundation Degree in Health and Social care

General Comments:

Comments on the statement:.

• Share this story :
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on Pinterest
• Latest Latest
• Trending Trending
• create my feed
• Edit my feed
• 0 new posts
• Started by: Anonymous
• Forum: Advice on everyday issues
• Last post: 4 minutes ago
• Started by: renstarr
• Forum: Secondary school, sixth form and FE college
• Last post: 7 minutes ago
• Started by: bowakunga
• Forum: Computer Science
• Started by: 04MR17
• Forum: Oxford Undergraduate
• Replies: 95
• Forum: University life
• Replies: 11
• Last post: 24 minutes ago
• Started by: bloop1234567
• Last post: 29 minutes ago
• Started by: Shane Flanagan
• Last post: 36 minutes ago
• Started by: Enmaxx123
• Forum: Optometry
• Last post: 37 minutes ago
• Started by: strawberrylaces2
• Last post: 38 minutes ago
• Started by: Tikka33
• Forum: Student accommodation
• Last post: 50 minutes ago
• Started by: Kiranigami
• Forum: Ask Student Finance England
• Last post: 1 hour ago
• Started by: Evil Homer
• Forum: UA92
• Started by: sruthy1012
• Forum: Learning to drive
• Started by: joyce62847
• Forum: A-levels
• Started by: Talkative Toad
• Forum: Forum games
• Replies: 7994
• Forum: Relationships
• Replies: 12
• Started by: mrbookworm1
• Last post: 2 hours ago
• Started by: Hariasq
• Forum: Apprenticeships and alternatives to university
• Replies: 260
• Started by: mar3i.k
• Forum: Dentistry
• Started by: Amydesigns1104
• Forum: News and current affairs
• Last post: 3 hours ago
• Started by: Scotland Yard
• Forum: Chemistry Exams
• Replies: 802
• Last post: 6 hours ago
• Started by: asdfjkmel
• Forum: Graduate Schemes
• Replies: 1814
• Started by: principal-ontolo
• Replies: 468
• Last post: 1 day ago
• Forum: Physics Exams
• Replies: 1706
• Forum: Biology, biochemistry and other life sciences
• Replies: 1276
• Last post: 2 days ago
• Started by: Pwca
• Forum: Maths Exams
• Replies: 1270
• Last post: 3 days ago
• Replies: 896
• Replies: 527
• Replies: 480
• Replies: 1092
• Last post: 4 days ago
• Started by: emm4nuella
• Forum: Biology Exams
• Replies: 777
• Started by: oddchocolate05
• Replies: 1079
• Last post: 5 days ago
• Replies: 297
• Last post: 1 week ago
• Replies: 2077
• Replies: 1484
• Replies: 544
• Replies: 1841
• Replies: 1218
• Replies: 1385
• As expected
• Tell us more about your answer in the thread!

The Student Room and The Uni Guide are both part of The Student Room Group.

• Main topics
• GCSE and A-level
• Exam results
• Life and relationships

Get Started

• Today's posts
• Unanswered posts
• Community guidelines
• TSR help centre
• Cookies & online safety
• Terms & conditions
• Privacy notice

Connect with TSR

© Copyright The Student Room 2023 all rights reserved

The Student Room and The Uni Guide are trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd.

Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. 806 8067 22 Registered Office: Imperial House, 2nd Floor, 40-42 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XB

• Applying to Uni
• Apprenticeships
• Health & Relationships
• Money & Finance

Personal Statements

• Postgraduate
• U.S Universities

University Interviews

• Vocational Qualifications
• Accommodation
• ​​​​​​​Budgeting, Money & Finance
• ​​​​​​​Health & Relationships
• ​​​​​​​Jobs & Careers
• ​​​​​​​Socialising

Studying Abroad

• ​​​​​​​Studying & Revision
• ​​​​​​​Technology
• ​​​​​​​University & College Admissions

Guide to GCSE Results Day

Finding a job after school or college

Retaking GCSEs

In this section

Choosing GCSE Subjects

Post-GCSE Options

GCSE Work Experience

GCSE Revision Tips

Why take an Apprenticeship?

Applying for an Apprenticeship

Apprenticeships Interviews

Apprenticeship Wage

Engineering Apprenticeships

What is an Apprenticeship?

Choosing an Apprenticeship

Real Life Apprentices

Degree Apprenticeships

Higher Apprenticeships

A Level Results Day 2024

AS Levels 2024

Clearing Guide 2024

Applying to University

SQA Results Day Guide 2024

BTEC Results Day Guide

Vocational Qualifications Guide

Sixth Form or College

International Baccalaureate

Post 18 options

Finding a Job

Should I take a Gap Year?

Travel Planning

Volunteering

Gap Year Blogs

Applying to Oxbridge

Applying to US Universities

Choosing a Degree

Choosing a University or College

Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Guide to Freshers' Week

Student Guides

Student Cooking

Student Blogs

Top Rated Personal Statements

Personal Statement Examples

Writing Your Personal Statement

Postgraduate Personal Statements

International Student Personal Statements

Gap Year Personal Statements

Personal Statement Length Checker

Personal Statement Examples By University

Personal Statement Changes 2025

Personal Statement Template

Job Interviews

Types of Postgraduate Course

Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement

Postgraduate Funding

Postgraduate Study

Internships

Choosing A College

Ivy League Universities

Common App Essay Examples

Universal College Application Guide

How To Write A College Admissions Essay

College Rankings

Admissions Tests

Fees & Funding

Scholarships

Budgeting For College

Online Degree

Platinum Express Editing and Review Service

Gold Editing and Review Service

Silver Express Editing and Review Service

UCAS Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Oxbridge Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

Postgraduate Personal Statement Editing and Review Service

You are here

Mental health nursing personal statement example 2.

I work in an NHS hospital and have been a Health Care Assistant for over five years. During this time, I have helped different clientele groups in the health care industry. I have looked after people with drug abuse, alcohol abuse, substance abuse problems and clients with depression.

My duties include; observation, writing care plans, interacting with them, escorting clients when they go shopping, ward rounds with panel of healthcare professionals, serving food, helping them with personal care, assisting the nurse in charge with observation on their medication, encouraging some of the clients on withdrawal to interact with others for group therapy.

This has given me the chance to realise how my services are needed in the health sector and has inspired me to further my training to become a mental health nurse. I feel the need to help all the people in our society

I am currently studying Access to Health Studies with the hope of going to university. I am enjoying studying different modules; psychology, numeracy, human biology, health and drugs, communication, IT and research.

All the above subjects need a lot of time spent within the college and outside. They involve a lot of preparation on assignments and research, a lot of planning and time management to complete.

I am finding the above subjects to be helpful with my future career. I have visited a website on the Internet on careers' guidance and after doing their IQ test mental health came on top as my chosen career. I was delighted with the result of this IQ test. Being an adult student, I had to contend with going back to college.

At first I thought it was going to be difficult and how was I going to cope with sitting at a desk after a long time without studying. I did sit down with my wife and we talked about it and to my surprise she was very supportive, which made it much easier for me for a start.

How was I going to cope with assignments, done on time, handing them in on time? I did find it very challenging but it has helped me to put time management, planning and preparation in place, which has given me a foundation for university next year

I find it helpful going out at weekends after a long week. I enjoy nightlife; going clubbing with friends and my classmates. I like watching football and one of my clients I work with enjoys watching football so every other weekend I take him to watch Watford, when they are playing at home. I also support cricket and I am learning to score.

Profile info

There is no profile associated with this personal statement, as the writer has requested to remain anonymous.

This personal statement is unrated

Related Personal Statements

This is a pretty good.

Tue, 25/05/2010 - 04:54

This is a pretty good personal statement but I don't think telling them that you like to go clubbing makes you look very serious or professional.

too many lists!

Thu, 11/09/2014 - 09:48

Add new comment

Home — Essay Samples — Life — Personal Statement — Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

Mental Health Nursing Personal Statement

• Categories: Nurse Personal Experience Personal Statement

About this sample

Words: 740 |

Published: Aug 30, 2022

Words: 740 | Pages: 2 | 4 min read

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

• 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
• Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

Verified writer

• Expert in: Life

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1376 words

1 pages / 551 words

2 pages / 1133 words

3 pages / 1152 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Personal Statement

Accounting, often referred to as "the language of business," is a fundamental aspect of any organization. It provides crucial information that guides decision-making, ensures financial transparency, and facilitates effective [...]

As a nephrologist, I have always been passionate about the field of kidney health and have dedicated my career to improving the lives of patients with kidney disease. Through my academic and clinical experiences, I have [...]

Embarking on the journey to vet school is a path filled with dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to the welfare of animals. In this essay, we will explore the critical aspects of pursuing a veterinary education, [...]

As a passionate and dedicated individual with a keen interest in the field of bioinformatics, I am eager to pursue a career in this rapidly evolving and interdisciplinary field. My academic background, research experience, and [...]

School Personal Statement: A Journey of Self-Discovery and Academic GrowthAs I sit here, pen poised above the blank page, I am reminded of the immense weight resting on my shoulders. Writing a personal statement for school is no [...]

The National Health Service, or NHS, is a cornerstone of the United Kingdom's healthcare system. It has been providing essential services to the British public for over seven decades, and its impact on the nation's health and [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

• Instructions Followed To The Letter
• Deadlines Met At Every Stage
• Unique And Plagiarism Free

• Fact sheets
• Facts in pictures
• Publications
• Questions and answers
• Tools and toolkits
• HIV and AIDS
• Hypertension
• Mental disorders
• Top 10 causes of death
• All countries
• Eastern Mediterranean
• South-East Asia
• Western Pacific
• Data by country
• Country presence 
• Country strengthening 
• Country cooperation strategies 
• News releases
• Feature stories
• Press conferences
• Commentaries
• Photo library
• Afghanistan
• Cholera 
• Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
• Greater Horn of Africa
• Israel and occupied Palestinian territory
• Disease Outbreak News
• Situation reports
• Weekly Epidemiological Record
• Surveillance
• Health emergency appeal
• International Health Regulations
• Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee
• Classifications
• Data collections
• Global Health Estimates
• Mortality Database
• Sustainable Development Goals
• Health Inequality Monitor
• Global Progress
• Data collection tools
• Global Health Observatory
• Insights and visualizations
• COVID excess deaths
• World Health Statistics
• Partnerships
• Committees and advisory groups
• Collaborating centres
• Technical teams
• Organizational structure
• Initiatives
• General Programme of Work
• WHO Academy
• Investment in WHO
• WHO Foundation
• External audit
• Financial statements
• Internal audit and investigations 
• Programme Budget
• Results reports
• Governing bodies
• World Health Assembly
• Executive Board
• Member States Portal

Protecting health and care workers’ mental health and well-being: Technical Consultation Meeting

High levels of stress, burnout, absence from work and strikes affecting the health and care workforce are a symptom of the current state of health systems. These are normal reactions in the face of staff shortages, low pay, inadequate and unsafe working conditions, extraordinarily stressful environments and a lack of needed workplace safeguards [KC1]  . At least a quarter of health and care workers reported anxiety, depression and burnout symptoms between January 2020 and April 2022. No significant reductions have been observed since 2022.

Expanding upon knowledge to address this threat to health systems, the WHO Health Workforce department organized a 26 April technical consultation on Protecting health and care workers’ mental health and well-being  in Leuven, Belgium. Health workers affected by burnout testified to their personal experiences, and experts exchanged evidence-based tools, research, guidelines, good practices and opportunities for alignment across existing national, regional and global initiatives.

Globally, health and care workers are raising their voices on how workplace demands and resource gaps are impacting their mental health and well-being. During the technical consultation, Corey Feist, Chief Executive Officer of the Dr Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, called to mind his sister-in-law Dr Lorna Breen, a New York City emergency room physician who died by suicide exactly at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The landmark 2022 Dr Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act in the United States  supporting health workers’ mental health and well-being has funded $103 million across 44 organizations to implement evidence-informed strategies that reduce and prevent suicide, burnout, mental health conditions, and substance use disorders.

“ Particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a moral obligation to address the long-standing crisis of burnout, exhaustion, and moral injury across the health sector by protecting decent work, improving the practice environment and tackling the root causes of mental health problems in our workforce, ” stated Jim Campbell, WHO Health Workforce Director. Experts contributing to the consultation agreed that urgent collective action to address health system factors that lead to stress and burnout in the workforce is essential.

The technical consultation builds upon national policy actions like the Dr Lorna Breen Act, regional initiatives, cross-border studies that document evidence on the impact of organizational level change; and the Global health and care worker compact requested and approved by countries through the World Health Assembly. Application of these recommendations within health systems and with appropriate policy action remains a challenge in most countries

The expert consultation is part of a strategic partnership with the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) that focuses on operationalizing the recommendations of Our duty of care: a global call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers . Demonstration sites have been launched at the health facility level in Spain and Qatar to apply evidence-based interventions and address organizational level changes to better protect and support health and care workers.

• Our duty of care: a global call to action to protect the mental health of health and care workers
• Global Health and Care Worker Compact

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

HHS Finalizes Rule Establishing Disincentives for Health Care Providers That Have Committed Information Blocking

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today released a final rule that establishes disincentives for health care providers that have committed information blocking. This final rule exercises the Secretary’s authority under the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act) to establish “disincentives” for health care providers who engage in practices that the health care providers knew were unreasonable and were likely to interfere with, prevent, or materially discourage the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI), except as required by law or covered by a regulatory exception.

“This final rule is designed to ensure we always have access to our own health information and that our care teams have the benefit of this information to guide their decisions. With this action, HHS is taking a critical step toward a health care system where people and their health providers have access to their electronic health information,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “When health information can be appropriately accessed and exchanged, care is more coordinated and efficient, allowing the health care system to better serve patients. But we must always take the necessary actions to ensure patient privacy and preferences are protected – and that’s exactly what this rule does.”

HHS has established the following disincentives for health care providers found by the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) to have committed information blocking and referred by OIG to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS):

• Under the Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program, an eligible hospital or critical access hospital (CAH) that has committed information blocking and is referred to CMS by OIG will not be a meaningful electronic health record (EHR) user during the calendar year of the EHR reporting period in which OIG refers its determination to CMS.  If the eligible hospital is not a meaningful EHR user, the eligible hospital will not be able to earn three quarters of the annual market basket increase they would have been able to earn for successful program participation; for CAHs, payment will be reduced to 100 percent of reasonable costs instead of 101 percent. This disincentive will be effective 30 days after publication of the final rule.
• Under the Promoting Interoperability performance category of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), a MIPS eligible clinician (including a group practice) who has committed information blocking will not be a meaningful EHR user during the calendar year of the performance period in which OIG refers its determination to CMS. If the MIPS eligible clinician is not a meaningful EHR user, then they will receive a zero score in the MIPS Promoting Interoperability performance category. The MIPS Promoting Interoperability performance category score is typically a quarter of an individual MIPS eligible clinician’s or group’s total final score in a performance period/MIPS payment year, unless an exception applies and the MIPS eligible clinician is not required to report measures for the performance category. CMS has modified its policy for this disincentive to clarify that if an individual eligible clinician is found to have committed information blocking and is referred to CMS, the disincentive under the MIPS Promoting Interoperability performance category will only apply to the individual, even if they report as part of a group. This disincentive will be effective 30 days after publication of the final rule.
• Under the Medicare Shared Savings Program, a health care provider that is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO), ACO participant, or ACO provider or supplier who has committed information blocking may be ineligible to participate in the program for a period of at least one year. Consequently, the health care provider may not receive revenue that they might otherwise have earned through the Shared Savings Program. CMS also finalized in this rule that it will consider the relevant facts and circumstances (e.g. time since the information blocking conduct, the health care provider’s diligence in identifying and correcting the problem, whether the provider was previously subject to a disincentive in another program, etc.) before applying a disincentive under the Shared Savings Program. This disincentive will be effective 30 days after publication of the final rule; however, any disincentive under the Shared Savings Program would be imposed after January 1, 2025.
• Additional disincentives may be established through future rulemaking.

This HHS final rule complements OIG’s final rule from June 2023 that established penalties for information blocking actors other than health care providers, as identified in the Cures Act (health information technology (IT) developers of certified health IT or other entities offering certified health IT, health information exchanges, and health information networks). If OIG determines that any of these individuals or entities committed information blocking, they may be subject to a civil monetary penalty of up to $1 million per violation.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and CMS will host a joint information session about the final rule on June 26, 2024 at 2pm ET. More information can be found at healthit.gov/informationblocking and via ONC’s X account, @ONC_HealthIT .

Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Subscribe to RSS

Receive latest updates

Related News Releases

Biden-harris administration releases data showing historic gains in health care coverage in minority communities, statement from hhs secretary xavier becerra on new drug overdose death data, hhs’ statement on ascension health’s cyber incident, related blog posts.

Reflecting on Cybersecurity Awareness Month

The u.s. department of health and human services is taking action to strengthen primary care, navigating section 752: insights from program managers on success, challenges, and tools for change, media inquiries.

For general media inquiries, please contact  [email protected] .

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

• The Attorney General
• Organizational Chart
• Budget & Performance
• Privacy Program
• Press Releases
• Photo Galleries
• Guidance Documents
• Publications
• Information for Victims in Large Cases
• Justice Manual
• Business and Contracts
• Why Justice ?
• DOJ Vacancies
• Legal Careers at DOJ

Doctor charged for unauthorized access to personal information of pediatric patients at Texas Children’s Hospital

HOUSTON – A Houston doctor has been indicted for obtaining protected individual health information for patients that were not under his care and without authorization, announced Alamdar S. Hamdani.

The case against Ethan Haim, 34, Dallas, has now been unsealed, and he is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Yvonne Y. Ho in Houston at 2 p.m.

The four-count indictment alleges Haim obtained personal information including patient names, treatment codes and the attending physician from Texas Children’s Hospital’s (TCH) electronic system without authorization. He allegedly obtained this information under false pretenses and with intent to cause malicious harm to TCH.

According to the indictment, Haim was a resident at Baylor College of Medicine and had previous rotations at TCH as part of his residency.

In April 2023, Haim allegedly requested to re-activate his login access at TCH to access pediatric patients not under his care. The indictment alleges he obtained unauthorized access to personal information of pediatric patients under false pretenses and later disclosed it to a media contact.

If convicted, Haim faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 maximum possible fine.

FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Tina Ansari is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law .

Related Content

Several local residents and others are now charged in six separate cases in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with varying counts related to the Justice Department’s 2024 National Health ...

A 68-year-old man has been sentenced for orchestrating a $6 million Medicaid fraud and kickbacks scheme

Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center (BSLMC), Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) and Surgical Associates of Texas P.A. (SAT) have jointly agreed to pay $15 million to resolve claims they billed...

The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.

Key Data on Health and Health Care by Race and Ethnicity

Nambi Ndugga , Latoya Hill , and Samantha Artiga Published: June 11, 2024

Executive Summary

Introduction.

Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care remain a persistent challenge in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic’s uneven impact on people of color drew increased attention to inequities in health and health care, which have been documented for decades and reflect longstanding structural and systemic inequities rooted in historical and ongoing racism and discrimination. KFF’s 2023 Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health documents ongoing experiences with racism and discrimination, including in health care settings. While inequities in access to and use of health care contribute to disparities in health, inequities across broader social and economic factors that drive health, often referred to as social determinants of health , also play a major role. Using data to identify disparities and the factors that drive them is important for developing interventions and directing resources to address them, as well as for assessing progress toward achieving greater equity over time.

This analysis examines how people of color fare compared to White people across 64 measures of health, health care, and social determinants of health using the most recent data available from federal surveys and administrative sets as well as the 2023 KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health , which provides unique nationally-representative measures of adults’ experiences with racism and discrimination, including in health care (see About the Data). Where possible, we present data for six groups: White, Asian, Hispanic, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI). People of Hispanic origin may be of any race, but we classify them as Hispanic for this analysis. We limit other groups to people who identify as non-Hispanic. When the same or similar measures are available in multiple datasets, we use the data that allow us to disaggregate for the largest number of racial and ethnic groups. Future analyses will reflect new federal standards that will utilize a combined race and ethnicity approach for collecting information and include a new category for people who identify as Middle Eastern or North African. Unless otherwise noted, differences described in the text are statistically significant at the p<0.05 level.

We include data for smaller population groups wherever available. Instances in which the unweighted sample size for a subgroup is less than 50 or the relative standard error is greater than 30% — which are outside of what we would typically include in analysis like this — are noted in the figures, and confidence intervals for those measures are included in the figure. Although these small sample sizes may impact the reliability, validity, and reproducibility of data, they are important to include because they point to potential underlying disparities that are hidden without disaggregated data. For some data measures throughout this brief we refer to “women” but recognize that other individuals also give birth, including some transgender men, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming persons.

Key Takeaways

Black, Hispanic, and AIAN people fare worse than White people across the majority of examined measures of health and health care and social determinants of health (Figure 1). Black people fare better than White people for some cancer screening and incidence measures, although they have higher rates of cancer mortality. Despite worse measures of health coverage and access and social determinants of health, Hispanic people fare better than White people for some health measures, including life expectancy, some chronic diseases, and most measures of cancer incidence and mortality. These findings may, in part, reflect variation in outcomes among subgroups of Hispanic people , with better outcomes for some groups, particularly recent immigrants to the U.S. Examples of some key findings include:

• Nonelderly AIAN (19%) and Hispanic (18%) people were more than twice as likely as their White counterparts (7%) to be uninsured as of 2022.
• Among adults with any mental illness, Hispanic (40%), Black (38%), and Asian (36%) adults were less likely than White adults (56%) to receive mental health services as of 2022.
• Roughly, six in ten Hispanic (63%), AIAN (63%), and Black (58%) adults went without a flu vaccine in the 2022-2023 season, compared to less than half of White adults (49%).
• AIAN (67.9 years) and Black (72.8 years) people had a shorter life expectancy compared to White people (77.5 years) as of 2022, and AIAN, Hispanic, and Black people experienced larger declines in life expectancy than White people between 2019 and 2022; however, all racial and ethnic groups experienced a small increase in life expectancy between 2021 and 2022.
• Black (10.9 per 1,000) and AIAN (9.1 per 1,000) infants were at least two times as likely to die as White infants (4.5 per 1,000) as of 2022. Black and AIAN women also had the highest rates of pregnancy-related mortality.
• AIAN (24%) and Black (21%) children were more than three times as likely to have food insecurity as White children (6%), and Hispanic children (15%) were over twice as likely to have food insecurity than White children (6%) as of 2022.

Asian people in the aggregate fare the same or better compared to White people for most examined measures. However, they fare worse for some measures, including receipt of some routine care and screening services, and some social determinants of health, including home ownership, crowded housing, and experiences with racism. They also have higher shares of people who are noncitizens or who have limited English proficiency (LEP), which could contribute to barriers to accessing health coverage and care. Moreover, the aggregate data may mask underlying disparities among subgroups of the Asian population. Asian people also report experiences with discrimination in daily life, which is associated with adverse effects on mental health and well-being.

Data gaps largely prevent the ability to identify and understand health disparities for NHPI people. Data are insufficient or not disaggregated for NHPI people for a number of the examined measures. Among available data, NHPI people fare worse than White people for the majority of measures. There are no significant differences for some measures, but this largely reflects the smaller sample size for NHPI people in many datasets, which limits the power to detect statistically significant differences.

These data highlight the importance of continued efforts to address disparities in health and health care and show that it will be key for efforts to address factors both within and beyond the health care system. While these data provide insight into the status of disparities, ongoing data gaps and limitations hamper the ability to get a complete picture, particularly for smaller population groups and among subgroups of the broader racial and ethnic categories. As the share of people who identify as multiracial grows, it will be important to develop improved methods for understanding their experiences. How data are collected and reported by race and ethnicity is important for understanding disparities and efforts to address them. Recent changes to federal standards for collecting and reporting racial and ethnic data are intended to better represent the diversity of the population and will likely support greater disaggregation of data to identify and address disparities.

Racial Diversity Within the U.S. Today

Total population by race and ethnicity.

About four in ten people (42%) in the United States identify as people of color (Figure 2). This group includes 19% who are Hispanic, 12% who are Black, 6% who are Asian, 1% who are AIAN, less than 1% who are NHPI, and 5% who identify as another racial category, including individuals who identify as more than one race. The remaining 58% of the population are White. The share of the population who identify as people of color has been growing over time, with the largest growth occurring among those who identify as Hispanic or Asian. The racial diversity of the population is expected to continue to increase, with people of color projected to account for over half of the population by 2050. Recent changes to how data on race and ethnicity are collected and reported may also influence measures of the diversity of the population.

RACIAL DIVERSITY BY STATE

Certain areas of the country—particularly in the South, Southwest, and parts of the West—are more racially diverse than others (Figure 3). Overall, the share of the population who are people of color ranges from 10% or fewer in Maine, Vermont, and West Virginia to 50% or more of the population in California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas. Most people of color live in the South and West. More than half (59%) of the Black population resides in the South, and nearly eight in ten Hispanic people live in the West (38%) or South (39%). About three quarters of the NHPI population (75%), almost half (49%) of the AIAN population, and 43% of the Asian population live in the Western region of the country.

TOTAL POPULATION BY AGE, RACE, AND ETHNICITY

People of color are younger compared to White people. Hispanic people are the youngest racial and ethnic group, with 31% ages 18 or younger and 56% below age 35 (Figure 4). Roughly half of Black (48%), AIAN (50%), and NHPI (51%) people are below age 35, compared to 42% of Asian people and 38% of White people.

Health Coverage, Access to and Use of Care

Racial disparities in health coverage, access, and use.

Overall, Hispanic and AIAN people fare worse compared to White people across most examined measures of health coverage, and access to and use of care (Figure 5). Black people fare worse than White people across half of these measures, and experiences for Asian people are mostly similar to or better than White people across these examined measures. NHPI people fare worse than White people across some measures, but several measures lacked sufficient data for a reliable estimate for NHPI people.

HEALTH COVERAGE

Despite gains in health coverage across racial and ethnic groups over time, nonelderly AIAN, Hispanic, NHPI, and Black people remain more likely to be uninsured compared to their White counterparts. After the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid, and Marketplace coverage expansions took effect in 2014, all racial and ethnic groups experienced large increases in coverage . Beginning in 2017, coverage gains began reversing and the number of uninsured people increased for three consecutive years. However, between 2019 and 2022, there were small gains in coverage across most racial and ethnic groups, with pandemic enrollment protections in Medicaid and enhanced ACA premium subsidies. Despite these gains over time, disparities in health coverage persist as of 2022. Nonelderly AIAN (19%) and Hispanic (18%) people have the highest uninsured rates (Figure 6). Uninsured rates for nonelderly NHPI (13%) and Black (10%) people are also higher than the rate for their White counterparts (7%). Nonelderly White (7%) and Asian (6%) people have the lowest uninsured rates.

ACCESS TO AND USE OF CARE

Most groups of nonelderly adults of color are more likely than nonelderly White adults to report not having a usual doctor or provider and going without care. Roughly one third (36%) of Hispanic adults, one quarter of AIAN (25%) and NHPI (24%) adults, and about one in five (21%) Asian adults report not having a personal health care provider compared to 17% of White adults (Figure 7). The share of Black adults who report not having a personal health care provider is the same as their White counterparts (17% for both). In addition, Hispanic (21%), NHPI (18%), AIAN (16%), and Black (14%) adults are more likely than White adults (11%) to report not seeing a doctor in the past 12 months because of cost, while Asian adults (8%) are less likely than White adults to say they went without a doctor visit due to cost. Hispanic (32%) and AIAN (31%) adults are more likely than White adults (28%) to say they went without a routine checkup in the past year, while Asian (26%), NHPI (24%), and Black (20%) adults are less likely to report going without a checkup. Hispanic and AIAN (both 45%) and Black (40%) adults are more likely than White adults (34%) to report going without a visit to a dentist or dental clinic in the past year.

In contrast to the patterns among adults, racial and ethnic differences in access to and use of care are more mixed for children. Nearly one in ten (9%) Hispanic children lack a usual source of care when sick compared to 5% of White children, but there are no significant differences for other groups for which data are available (Figure 8). Similar shares of Hispanic (7%), Asian (7%), and Black (4%) children went without a health care visit in the past year as White children (6%). However, higher shares of Asian (23%) and Black (21%) children went without a dental visit in the past year compared to White children (17%). Data are not available for NHPI children for these measures, and data for AIAN children should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes and large standard errors.

Among adults with any mental illness, Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults are less likely than White adults to report receiving mental health services. Roughly half (56%) of White adults with any mental illness report receiving mental health services in the past year. (Figure 9). In contrast, about four in ten (40%) Hispanic adults and just over a third of Black (38%) and Asian (36%) adults with any mental illness report receiving mental health care in the past year. Data are not available for AIAN and NHPI adults.

Experiences across racial and ethnic groups are mixed regarding receipt of recommended cancer screenings (Figure 10). Among women ages 50-74 (the age group recommended for screening prior to updates in 2024, which lowered the starting age to 40), Black people (24%) are less likely than White people (29%) to go without a recent mammogram. In contrast, AIAN (41%) and Hispanic (35%) people are more likely than White people (29%) to go without a mammogram. Among those recommended for colorectal cancer screening, Hispanic, Asian, AIAN, NHPI, and Black people are more likely than White people to not be up to date on their screening. Increases in cancer screenings, particularly for breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers, have been identified as one of the drivers of the decline in cancer mortality over the past few decades.

Racial and ethnic differences persist in flu and childhood vaccinations (Figure 11). Roughly six in ten Hispanic (63%), AIAN (63%), and Black (58%) adults went without a flu vaccine in the 2022-2023 season compared to about half (49%) of White adults. However, among children, White children (44%) are more likely than Asian (28%) and Hispanic (39%) children to go without the flu vaccine; data are not available to assess flu vaccinations among NHPI adults and children. In 2019-2020, AIAN (42%), Black (37%), and Hispanic (33%) children were more likely than White children (28%) to have not received all recommended childhood immunizations.

Health Status and Outcomes

Racial disparities in health status and outcomes.

Black and AIAN people fare worse than White people across the majority of examined measures of health status and outcomes (Figure 12). In contrast, Asian and Hispanic people fare better than White people for a majority of examined health measures. Nearly half of the examined measures did not have data available for NHPI people, limiting the ability to understand their experiences. Among available data, NHPI people fare worse than White people for more than half of the examined measures.   

LIFE EXPECTANCY

AIAN and Black people have a shorter life expectancy at birth compared to White people, and AIAN, Hispanic, and Black people experienced larger declines in life expectancy than White people between 2019 and 2021. Life expectancy at birth represents the average number of years a group of infants would live if they were to experience the age-specific death rates prevailing during a specified period. Life expectancy declined by 2.7 years between 2019 and 2021, largely reflecting an increase in excess deaths due to COVID-19, which disproportionately impacted Black, Hispanic, and AIAN people. AIAN people experienced the largest life expectancy decline of 6.6 years, followed by Hispanic (4.2 years) and Black people (4.0 years), and a smaller decline of 2.4 years for White people. Asian people had the smallest decline in life expectancy of 2.1 years between 2019 and 2021. Provisional data from 2022 show that overall life expectancy increased across all racial and ethnic groups between 2021 and 2022, but racial disparities persist (Figure 13). Life expectancy is lowest for AIAN people at 67.9 years, followed by Black people at 72.8 years, while White and Hispanic people have higher life expectancies of 77.5 and 80 years, respectively, and Asian people have the highest life expectancy at 84.5 years. Life expectancies are even lower for AIAN and Black males, at 64.6 and 69.1 years, respectively. Data are not available for NHPI people.

SELF-REPORTED HEALTH STATUS

Black, Hispanic, and AIAN adults are more likely to report fair or poor health status than their White counterparts, while Asian adults are less likely to indicate fair or poor health. Nearly three in ten (29%) AIAN adults and roughly two in ten Hispanic (23%) and Black (21%) adults report fair or poor health status compared to 16% of White adults (Figure 14). One in ten Asian adults report fair or poor health status.

BIRTH RISKS AND OUTCOMES

NHPI (62.8 per 100,000), Black (39.9 per 100,000), and AIAN (32 per 100,000) women have the highest rates of pregnancy-related mortality (deaths within one year of pregnancy) between 2017-2019, while Hispanic women (11.6 per 100,000) have the lowest rate (Figure 15). More recent data for maternal mortality, which measures deaths that occur during pregnancy or within 42 days of pregnancy, shows that Black women (49.5 per 100,000) have the highest maternal mortality rate across racial and ethnic groups in 2022 (Figure 16). However, maternal mortality rates decreased significantly across most racial and ethnic groups between 2021 and 2022. Experts suggest the decline may reflect a return to pre-pandemic levels following the large increase in maternal death rates due to COVID-19 related deaths. The Dobbs decision eliminating the constitutional right to abortion could widen the already large disparities in maternal health as people of color may face disproportionate challenges accessing abortions due to state restrictions.

Black, AIAN, and NHPI women have higher shares of preterm births, low birthweight births, or births for which they received late or no prenatal care compared to White women (Figure 17). Additionally, Asian women are more likely to have low birthweight births than White women. Notably, NHPI women (22%) are four times more likely than White women (5%) to begin receiving prenatal care in the third trimester or to receive no prenatal care at all.

Teen birth rates have declined over time, but the birth rates among Black, Hispanic, AIAN, and NHPI teens are over two times higher than the rate among White teens (Figure 18). In contrast, the birth rate for Asian teens is more than four times lower than the rate for White teens.

Infants born to women of color are at higher risk for mortality compared to those born to White women. Infant mortality rates have declined over time although provisional 2022 data suggest a slight increase relative to 2021. As of 2022, Black (10.9 per 1,000) and AIAN (9.1 per 1,000) infants are at least two times as likely to die as White infants (4.5 per 1,000) (Figure 19). NHPI infants (8.5 per 1,000) are nearly twice as likely to die as White infants (4.5 per 1,000). Asian infants have the lowest mortality rate at 3.5 per 1,000 live births.

HIV AND AIDS DIAGNOSIS INDICATORS

Black, Hispanic, NHPI, and AIAN people are more likely than White people to be diagnosed with HIV or AIDS, the most advanced stage of HIV infection. In 2021, the HIV diagnosis rate for Black people is roughly eight times higher than the rate for White people, and the rate for Hispanic people is about four times higher than the rate for White people (Figure 20). AIAN and NHPI people also have higher HIV diagnosis rates compared to White people. Similar patterns are present in AIDS diagnosis rates, the most advanced stage of HIV, reflecting barriers to treatment. Black people have a roughly nine times higher rate of AIDS diagnosis compared to White people, and Hispanic, AIAN, and NHPI people also have higher rates of AIDS diagnoses. Most groups have seen decreases in HIV and AIDS diagnosis rates since 2013, although the HIV diagnosis rate has remained stable for Hispanic people and increased for AIAN and NHPI people.

Among people ages 13 and older living with diagnosed HIV infection, viral suppression rates are lower among AIAN (64%), Hispanic (64%), NHPI (63%), and Black (62%) people compared with White (72%) and Asian (70%) people (Figure 21) . Viral suppression refers to having less than 200 copies of HIV per milliliter of blood. Increasing the viral suppression rate among people with HIV is one of the key strategies of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative. Viral suppression promotes optimal health outcomes for people with HIV and also offers a preventive benefit as when someone is virally suppressed, they cannot sexually transmit HIV.

CHRONIC DISEASE AND CANCER

The prevalence of chronic disease varies across racial and ethnic groups and by type of disease. Diabetes rates for AIAN (18%), Black (16%), and Hispanic (13%) adults are all higher than the rate for White adults (11%). AIAN people (11%) are more likely to have had a heart attack or heart disease than White people (8%), while rates for Black (6%), NHPI (6%), Hispanic (4%) and Asian (3%) people are lower than White people. Black (12%) and AIAN (13%) adults have higher rates of asthma compared to their White counterparts (10%), while rates for Hispanic (8%) and Asian (5%) adults are lower, and the rate for NHPI is the same (10%). Among children, Black children (16%) are nearly twice as likely to have asthma compared to White children (9%), while Asian children (6%) have a lower asthma rate (Figure 22). Differences are not significant for other racial and ethnic groups, and data are not available for NHPI children.

AIAN, NHPI, and Black people are roughly twice as likely as White people to die from diabetes, and Black people are more likely than White people to die from heart disease (Figure 23). Hispanic people (28.3 per 100,000) also have a higher diabetes death rate compared to White people (21.3 per 100,000). In contrast, Asian people (17.2 per 100,000) are less likely than White people (21.3 per 100,000) to die from diabetes, and AIAN, Hispanic, and Asian people have lower heart disease death rates than their White counterparts.

People of color generally have lower rates of new cancer cases compared to White people, but Black people have higher incidence rates for some cancer types (Figure 24). Black people have lower rates of cancer incidence compared to White people for cancer overall, and most of the leading types of cancer examined. However, they have higher rates of new colon, and rectum, and prostate cancer. AIAN people have a higher rate of colon and rectum cancer than White people. Other groups have lower cancer incidence rates than White people across all examined cancer types.

Although Black people do not have higher cancer incidence rates than White people overall and across most types of cancer, they are more likely to die from cancer. Black people have a higher cancer death rate than White people for cancer overall and for most of the leading cancer types (Figure 25). In contrast, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, and AIAN people have lower cancer mortality rates across most cancer types compared to White people. The higher mortality rate among Black people despite similar or lower rates of incidence compared to White people could reflect a combination of factors , including more limited access to care, later stage of diagnosis, more comorbidities, and lower receipt of guideline-concordant care, which are driven by broader social and economic inequities.

COVID-19 DEATHS

AIAN, Hispanic, NHPI, and Black people have higher rates of COVID-19 deaths compared to White people. As of March 2024, provisional age-adjusted data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that between 2020 and 2023, AIAN people are roughly two times as likely as White people to die from COVID-19, and Hispanic, NHPI and Black people are about 1.5 times as likely to die from COVID-19 (Figure 26). Asian people have lower COVID-19 death rates during this period compared to all other race and ethnicity groups.

Obesity rates vary across race and ethnicity groups. As of 2022, Black (43%), AIAN (39%), and Hispanic (37%) adults all have higher obesity rates than White adults (32%), while Asian adults (13%) have a lower obesity rate (Figure 27).

Mental Health and Drug Overdose Deaths

Overall rates of mental illness are lower for people of color compared to White people but could be underdiagnosed among people of color. About one in five Hispanic and Black (21% and 20%, respectively) adults and 17% of Asian adults report having a mental illness compared to 25% of White adults (Figure 28). Among  adolescents , the share with symptoms of a past year major depressive episode were not significantly different across racial and ethnic groups, with roughly one in five White (21%) and Hispanic (20%) adolescents, 17% of Black, and about one in seven Asian (15%), and AIAN (14%) adolescents reporting symptoms. Data are not available for NHPI people. Research suggests that a lack of  culturally sensitive  screening  tools  that detect mental illness, coupled with  structural barriers could contribute to  underdiagnosis  of mental illness among people of color.

AIAN and White people have the highest rates of deaths by suicide as of 2022. People of color have been disproportionately affected by recent increases in deaths by suicide compared with their White counterparts. As of 2022, AIAN (27.1 per 100,000) and White (17.6 per 100,000) people have the highest rates of deaths by suicide compared to all other racial and ethnic groups (Figure 29). Rates of deaths by suicide are also over three times higher among AIAN adolescents (32.9 per 100,000) than White adolescents (10.6 per 100,000). In contrast, Black, Hispanic, and Asian adolescents have lower rates of suicide deaths compared to their White peers.

Drug overdose death rates increased among AIAN, Black, Hispanic, and Asian people between 2021 and 2022. As of 2022, AIAN people continue to have the highest rates of drug overdose deaths (65.2 per 100,000 in 2022) compared with all other racial and ethnic groups. Drug overdose death rates among Black people (47.5 per 100,000) exceed rates for White people (35.6 per 100,000), reflecting larger increases among Black people in recent years (Figure 30). Hispanic (22.7 per 100,000), NHPI (18.8 per 100,000), and Asian (5.3 per 100,000) people have lower rates of drug overdose deaths than White people (35.6 per 100,000). Data on drug overdose deaths among adolescents show that while White adolescents account for the largest share of drug overdose deaths, Black and Hispanic adolescents have experienced the fastest increase in these deaths in recent years.

Social Determinants of Health

Racial disparities in social and economic factors.

Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age. They include factors like socioeconomic status, education, immigration status, language, neighborhood and physical environment, employment, and social support networks, as well as access to health care. There has been extensive research and recognition that addressing social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health is important for advancing health equity. Research also shows how racism and discrimination drive inequities across these factors and impact health and well-being.  

Black, Hispanic, AIAN, and NHPI people fare worse compared to White people across most examined measures of social determinants of health (Figure 31). Experiences for Asian people are more mixed relative to White people across these examined measures. Reliable or disaggregated data for NHPI people are missing for a number of measures.

WORK STATUS, FAMILY INCOME, AND EDUCATION

Across racial and ethnic groups, most nonelderly people live in a family with a full-time worker, but Black, Hispanic, AIAN, and NHPI nonelderly people are more likely than White people to be in a family with income below poverty (Figure 32). While most people across racial and ethnic groups live in a family with a full-time worker, disparities persist. AIAN (68%), Black (73%), NHPI (77%), and Hispanic (81%) people are less likely than White people (83%) to have a full-time worker in the family. In contrast, Asian people (86%) are more likely than their White counterparts (83%) to have a full-time worker in the family. Despite the majority of people living in a family with a full-time worker, over one in five AIAN (25%) and Black (22%) people have family incomes below the federal poverty level, over twice the share as White people (10%), and rates of poverty were also higher among Hispanic (17%) and NHPI (16%) people.

Black, Hispanic, AIAN, and NHPI people have lower levels of educational attainment compared to their White counterparts. Among people ages 25 and older, over two thirds (69%) of White people have completed some post-secondary education, compared to less than half (45%) of Hispanic people, just over half of AIAN and NHPI people (both at 52%), and about six in ten Black people (58%) (Figure 33). Asian people are more likely than White people to have completed at least some post-secondary education, with 74% completing at least some college.

NET WORTH AND HOME OWNERSHIP

Black and Hispanic families have less wealth than White families. Wealth can be defined using net worth, a measure of the difference between a family’s assets and liabilities. The median net worth for White households is $285,000 compared to $44,900 for Black households and $61,600 for Hispanic households (Figure 34). Asian households have the highest median net worth of $536,000. Data are not available for AIAN and NHPI people.

People of color are less likely to own a home than White people (Figure 35). Nearly eight in ten (77%) White people own a home compared to 70% of Asian people, 62% of AIAN people, 55% of Hispanic people, and about half of Black (49%) and NHPI (48%) people.

FOOD SECURITY, HOUSING QUALITY, AND INTERNET ACCESS

Black and Hispanic adults and children are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to their White counterparts. Among adults, AIAN (18%), Black (14%), and Hispanic (12%) adults report low or very low food security compared to White adults (6%) (Figure 36). Among children, AIAN (24%), Black (21%) and Hispanic (15%) children are over twice as likely to be food insecure than White children (6%). Data are not available for NHPI adults and children.

People of color are more likely to live in crowded housing than their White counterparts (Figure 37). Among White people, 3% report living in a crowded housing arrangement, that is having more than one person per room, as defined by the American Community Survey. In contrast, almost three in ten (28%) NHPI people, roughly one in five (18%) Hispanic people, 16% AIAN people, and about one in ten Asian (12%) and Black (8%) people report living in crowded housing.

AIAN, NHPI, and Black people are less likely to have internet access than White people (Figure 38). Higher shares of AIAN (12%), and Black and NHPI people (both at 6%) say they have no internet access compared to their White counterparts (4%). In contrast, Asian people (2%) are less likely to report no internet access than White people (4%).

TRANSPORTATION

People of color are more likely to live in a household without access to a vehicle than White people (Figure 39) . About one in eight Black people (12%) and about one in ten AIAN (9%) and Asian (8%) people live in a household without a vehicle available followed by 7% of Hispanic and NHPI people. White people are the least likely to report not having access to a vehicle in the household (4%).

CITIZENSHIP AND ENGLISH PROFICIENCY

Asian, Hispanic, NHPI, and Black people include higher shares of noncitizen immigrants compared to White people. Asian and Hispanic people have the highest shares of noncitizen immigrants at 25% and 19%, respectively (Figure 40). Asian people are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the United States by 2055. Immigrants are more likely to be uninsured than citizens and face increased barriers to accessing health care.

Hispanic and Asian people are more likely to have LEP compared to White people. Almost one in three Asian (31%) and Hispanic (28%) people report speaking English less than very well compared to White people (1%)(Figure 41). Adults with LEP are more likely to report worse health status and increased barriers in accessing health care compared to English proficient adults.

EXPERIENCES WITH RACISM, DISCRIMINATION, AND UNFAIR TREATMENT

Racism is an underlying driver of health disparities, and repeated and ongoing exposure to perceived experiences of racism and discrimination can increase risks for poor health outcomes. Research has shown that exposure to racism and discrimination can lead to  negative  mental health  outcomes  and certain negative impacts on physical health, including depression, anxiety, and hypertension.

Black, AIAN, Hispanic, and Asian adults are more likely to report certain experiences with discrimination in daily life compared with their White counterparts, with the greatest frequency reported among Black and AIAN adults.  A 2023 KFF survey shows that at least half of AIAN (58%), Black (54%), and Hispanic (50%) adults and about four in ten (42%) Asian adults say they experienced at least one type of discrimination in daily life in the past year (Figure 42). These experiences include receiving poorer service than others at restaurants or stores; people acting as if they are afraid of them or as if they aren’t smart; being threatened or harassed; or being criticized for speaking a language other than English. Data are not available for NHPI adults.

About one in five (18%) Black adults and roughly one in eight AIAN (12%) adults, followed by roughly one in ten Hispanic (11%), and Asian (10%) adults who received health care in the past three years report being treated unfairly or with disrespect by a health care provider because of their racial or ethnic background.  These shares are higher than the 3% of White adults who report this (Figure 43). Overall, roughly three in ten (29%) AIAN adults and one in four (24%) Black adults say they were treated unfairly or with disrespect by a health care provider in the past three years for any reason compared with 14% of White adults.

About the Data

Data sources.

This chart pack is based on the KFF Survey on Racism, Discrimination, and Health and KFF analysis of a wide range of health datasets, including the 2022 American Community Survey, the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the 2022 National Health Interview Survey, the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and the 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances as well as from several online reports and databases including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) on vaccination coverage, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) National Vital Statistics Reports, the CDC Influenza Vaccination Dashboard Flu Vaccination Coverage Webpage Report, the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Atlas, the United States Cancer Statistics Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report, the 2022 CDC Natality Public Use File, CDC Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) database, and the CDC WONDER online database.

Methodology

Unless otherwise noted, race/ethnicity was categorized by non-Hispanic White (White), non-Hispanic Black (Black), Hispanic, non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), non-Hispanic Asian (Asian), and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (NHPI). Some datasets combine Asian and NHPI race categories limiting the ability to disaggregate data for these groups. Non-Hispanic White persons were the reference group for all significance testing. All noted differences were statistically significant differences at the p<0.05. We include data for smaller population groups wherever available. Instances in which the unweighted sample size for a subgroup is less than 50 or the relative standard error is greater than 30% are noted in the figures, and confidence intervals for those measures are included in the figure.

Lauren Dickason sentencing: Live updates for mum who murdered three young daughters

Share this article

• Triple murderer Lauren Dickason has been sentenced to serve 18 years in Hillmorton Hospital with no minimum term of imprisonment.
• The South African doctor was convicted in 2023 of murdering her three young daughters after a five-week trial.
• She made no reaction in court when sentence was delivered but later issued a statement saying she “failed” her three daughters.
• Emotional victim impact statements were delivered in court and Dickason reacted with emotion to some.
• The Crown told the court a starting point of 24-25 years non-parole was appropriate, with a 30% discount for mental illness.
• Dickason’s lawyer argued a mental health unit was the appropriate place for her.

The South African doctor convicted of murdering her three young daughters has been sentenced to serve 18 years in a mental health unit in Hillmorton Hospital.

Lauren Anne Dickason, 41, was found guilty of murdering Liane, 6, and 2-year-old twins Maya and Karla at their Timaru home in September 2020.

Shortly after the sentence was handed down Dickason issued a statement saying she had “failed” her daughters.

“I take responsibility for taking our three beautiful girls from this world,” she said.

“I would like to take this opportunity to convey the deepest and most sincere remorse for the extreme pain and hurt caused to my children and my family by my actions.”

After considering all of the material and legal points, Justice Cameron Mander ruled a life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 17 years or more would be manifestly unjust.

He did not sentence her to life in prison, rather, three determinate sentences of 18 years, to be served concurrently.

He did not set a minimum term of imprisonment, therefore Dickason is eligible for parole after a third of her sentence, six years, has been served.

He ordered Dickason to be detained at a mental health facility for compulsory treatment, rather than prison. She will remain at the facility until she reaches a point she is mentally well enough to be transferred to prison.

When sentenced, Dickason remained silent and did not react. Her mother wept.

Justice Mander began the sentencing by outlining how Dickason killed her three daughters and acknowledged Dickason’s diagnosis with a major depressive disorder in her teens.

He spoke about the reoccurrances of her depression over the years – before and after Liane and then the twins were born.

She was then seeing a psychiatrist regularly for post-natal depression and Justice Mander said it was clear Dickason’s mental state was “in decline” in the months leading up to the triple murder.

She experienced “intrusive ideations” of harming her children during that time.

Justice Mander said since the trial he had been provided with three expert reports about Dickason’s current mental state.

They said there was “recognition of the impact of the offending on others” and that she had expressed “remorse and regret” for killing the little girls.

Several said the woman remained mentally disordered.

“Sentencing a parent for the murder of three children is unprecedented in New Zealand... the children were vulnerable because of their age, but they were entirely dependent upon you as the mother who they look to for care and protection.

”They would have viewed you as an unconditional source of safety and love... The ending represents a fundamental breach of trust.”

Justice Mander acknowledged the grace and stoicism with which Dickason’s husband and their girls’ father Graham had conducted himself throughout the ordeal.

“I also acknowledge the unfathomable loss for both sides of the family.”

STORY CONTINUES BELOW LIVE BLOG

STORY CONTINUES

The Crown said the link between Dickason’s mental illness and her conduct was insufficient to rule out a life sentence.

Dickason’s lawyers submitted that the brutality of the murder did not preclude a finding that a life sentence would be manifestly unjust.

Justice Mander said ordinarily the murder of three children would point away from a life sentence being manifestly unjust – but he had to consider the killer’s mental health along with that in this case.

Forgiveness and agony in victim impact statements

Bettie Dickason, the mother of Lauren’s husband Graham, told the court of the neverending pain of losing her three grandchildren.

“In all honesty, I don’t hear the words of vocabulary to accurately describe the pain this has brought upon me and my family,” she said.

”I am a 78-year-old grandmother who once had 10 grandchildren and now have seven – who once trusted someone, took someone into my home and that someone who is now a convicted murderer.

”Some days it feels unbelievable, like I’m living in some horror film that I won’t be able to wake up from.”

Graham Dickason told the court he “lost everything” with the murder of his girls and his life with his wife.

“I have been grieving the loss of my daughters ever since... I have witnessed my family as well as Lauren’s family grieving the loss… never would we have imagined having to deal with a situation like this.”

“I have not only lost my life with my children but my life with my wife Lauren,” he said.

”I have also lost everything with regards to my children growing up... I will not see them turning into beautiful young women, finding their own husbands and starting their own families.

”I’ve had to make peace with this... I have managed to accept my current position in life.

”Lauren Dickason has lost everything I have lost... I made the decision very early on in this tragedy to forgive Lauren. She will have to live with what she did for the rest of her life. Her punishment is already severe.”

Dickason became distressed at parts of the statements, particularly the words of her sisters-in-law.

Graham’s sister Hermien said the loss of the girls turned her family’s lives upside down.

“My heart was ripped from my chest... we still cannot make sense of the murders of Liane, Karla and Maya,” she said.

”They represented life and love and brought sunshine to the family. Since their deaths a dreadful sadness struck our family... we long for them every day. They are gone far too soon.”

Graham’s second sister Elisabeth cut all ties with the woman through her statement.

Elisabeth said not a day goes by where she does not think of Liane, Karla and Maya.

”Mostly good thoughts,” she said. ”But sometimes I think about that night how the innocence was corrupted, how afraid they must have been the disbelief and betrayal they must have felt… We miss them and we miss them forever.”

She spoke directly to Dickason, who listened intently.

”It’s time to cut those strings and let Graham go – there is nothing that binds us. I forgive you. But for now it is time for goodbye.”

Graham’s third sister Cecelia said initially she was “very sympathetic towards Lauren”.

”I loved her like my sister and did not want to believe, she could do something like this,” she said.

”But having sat through most of the trial with my sister... I was shocked by the details that emerged about how the girls were murdered.

”It was tough hearing that... I suppose we were all hoping that the girls did not experience any trauma, however the trial made it clear.

”It would be nice to hear Lauren apologise for her actions. I do not feel hatred towards Lauren. I feel a deep disappointment and sadness.”

She hoped that the sentencing would bring some kind of closure to the family, particularly, her “brave” brother.

Dickason’s family then read statements – blasting and blaming the New Zealand government for the tragedy and complaining about the investigation, court process and the way the offender was treated from the night of the murders until now.

“We love her unconditionally and always will,” said a close family member, whose name is suppressed.

”What happened that night could not have been at the hands of the Lauren that we know so well,” she said.

The woman was “disappointed and angry” with Dickason’s doctor in South Africa, for “not taking proper care of Lauren”.

”We are angry with the New Zealand Government for such strict MIQ rules, even for families of five, with small children who are used to running around in South African Gardens, having ample space to move around and run freely.

”We are angry that the New Zealand Government insisted on a specialist appointment and letters for Lauren’s mental health and Karla’s cleft lip within a week of them arriving in a new country.

”If a country knew a person was struggling, surely support structures rather than tick boxes should have been put in place.”

The woman said she had “a newfound understanding for mental health, especially postpartum depression” since the murders.

“We feel the need for more advocates of hope that can break the stigma around mental health and postpartum depression in particular. We feel that too many women are being silenced and not given a voice to express how they are truly feeling... they are still judged and penalised for voicing their emotions.”

She implored Justice Mander to exercise “mercy, grace, empathy an sound judgment” when considering Dickason’s “very unique and complex case”.

Dickason’s father Malcolm Fawkes’ statement expressed disappointment with the New Zealand government.

“Why did you impose such inhumane MIQ requirements on essential service people and others in general?

”We are disappointed with (Immigration New Zealand). Why did you insist on Lauren having to submit reports on her mental condition and Karla’s cleft lip within a week of arriving?

”Why did you not proactively warn Timaru that a person with mental health challenges was approaching - and set up appropriate care and support systems proactively to help her on arrival?

“The loss to us has been huge,” he said.

”It has left a big vacuum in our lives which cannot be filled completely by the other five little grandchild we have in South Africa.

”However, we know the girls are in a good place.”

He finished his statement saying “women must be encouraged more to come out of hiding when it comes to personal mental health issues”.

”Women must be heard. Lauren was not heard – even when she spoke up.”

Dickason was sat in the dock alongside security guards and a mental health support person. All three accompanied her during last year’s trial.

Members of the public filled the courtroom, some who attended Dickason’s five-week trial.

The Dickason family had emigrated from Pretoria, arriving in New Zealand on August 28.

They spent two weeks in managed isolation and then travelled to Timaru, where Dickason’s husband Graham had taken a job as an orthopaedic surgeon.

Dickason admitted killing the girls by smothering them but denied charges of murder.

Dickason had mounted a defence of insanity or infanticide on the basis she was so mentally unwell at the time, that she could not be held fully responsible for her actions.

After a high-profile five-week trial in 2023, a jury found Dickason guilty of three counts of murder.

Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years with a particular focus on family violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime , released monthly on nzherald.co.nz .

Latest from New Zealand

'Heartbreaking': Family desperate for surgery for sick teen who hasn't eaten for a year

Julia's family need to raise $140,000 so she can have surgery that's unavailable in NZ.

Have you seen Rachel? Police concern for Huntly woman missing since yesterday

Historic return of Wairarapa Lakes to Iwi ownership marks end of century-long dispute

‘Get a job': Judge blasts man who sent girls inappropriate Snapchat messages

A site of rare beauty - Dart River