Retired cop urging members to speak out about mental health

29 August 2023

Former West Midlands Police Federation member Simon Jones has spoken about how he sought help for his mental health and urged others to “put their hand up” if they’re struggling with their emotional wellbeing.

Simon said that mental health problems can affect anyone at any time, as he spoke about the issues that impacted him while he was a West Midlands Police officer.

The former sergeant and acting inspector, who retired in 2020, was sharing his experience of anxiety and depression ahead of World Mental Health Day on Tuesday 10 October in the hope it will help others find the support they need.

Simon said: “I was regarded as a strong person. When some people found out I’d been diagnosed with anxiety and depression they didn’t believe it. ‘There’s no way it can happen to you’ they said, but it can happen to anyone.

“I’ve been married 33 years now and I had a good support network around me at home.

A man with a short haircut smiles at the camera

Simon Jones has spoken about how he sought help for his mental health.

“It was all work-related. I expect high standards from everyone and I wasn’t getting them. People weren’t getting things done and it was getting dumped on me to sort people’s problems out.”

Simon said he used his experience to support colleagues who were experiencing their own mental health issues.

“It made me feel good knowing what I’d gone through was helping them,” he said. “They were saying that some of the coping techniques were working for them.”

Now Simon is encouraging officers to ask for help if they need it.

“If you think you have mental health issues, the slightest indication, ask for help straight away because it takes time to get it,” he said. "The hardest thing to do was actually putting my hand up and saying I needed help.

“The sooner you can start addressing the issue, the easier it is in the long run.

“Some good analogies that someone gave me were that if you had rust on a car, would you let it rust away or would you treat it? If you had a broken leg would you go to hospital?

“My advice is to talk about it as soon as you can. Doing nothing is not an option, it will just make it worse.”