Welsh speakers dealing with anxiety can now access free online help in their preferred language through the NHS.

NHS Wales offers a range of guided cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programmes for managing mental health and wellbeing.

Space from Anxiety is the third CBT programme to be translated into Welsh, giving Welsh speakers the choice and freedom to express their feelings, thoughts and emotions in their chosen language.

Fionnuala Clayton, NHS Wales online CBT service project manager, said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch this programme in Welsh.

“Providing bilingual therapy is a key priority for us and is very much forefront in our minds as the service continues to grow.

“It can be difficult to open up and share your thoughts and feelings, and it’s even harder if you have to do it in your second language.

“It’s vital that we break down that barrier and provide people with the space and opportunity to use Welsh when they access our therapeutic content.”

Research suggests almost a quarter of adults in Wales feel anxious all or most of the time, while 45 per cent of adults with feelings of anxiety keep them secret.

Lingering stigma around mental health issues can make it tough to reach out for help, but NHS Wales’ online therapy programmes – delivered by SilverCloud® - help break down barriers to care.

The interactive programmes teach practical coping skills for mild to moderate mental health issues and can be accessed anonymously online - without seeing a GP or joining waiting lists - via any mobile, tablet, laptop or desktop device.

They take 12 weeks to complete and service users need commit as little as 15 minutes a day, three to four times weekly.

Progress is monitored by qualified practitioners, who provide fortnightly feedback and can escalate more serious cases to access further support.

30,000 people have accessed the service – funded by the Welsh government - since it piloted in Powys in 2018.

It was extended across Wales in September 2020 and Space from Anxiety has become the second-most requested programme, with almost 6000 people signing up in the last six years.