With the launch of Good Thinking in November 2017, London became the first global city to deliver a city-wide digital mental wellbeing service. It was built on in-depth user insights and we had a clear mission: use digital technologies to provide free, personalised, safe, high-quality mental health support that Londoners could access 24/7. Our initial focus was on offering clinically-validated self-assessments and NHS-approved apps.
“It’s a really good website and for people who are a bit reluctant to speak to people, it's very good to turn to, like the advice in there really did help me, especially with the sleep so it's something I am thankful for.” Good Thinking survey respondent, October 2022
Back in 2017, no one had any idea that two enormous mental health challenges lay ahead: a global pandemic and a cost of living crisis. To help Londoners who were anxious about COVID-19 and those who sadly lost loved ones to the virus, we quickly expanded Good Thinking’s resources to include hundreds of new ‘how to’ guides, podcasts, videos and workbooks. We also worked closely with faith and belief communities across London to provide tailored wellbeing content and support. And, now, we are offering advice on dealing with the stress of rising household bills and how to remain resilient this winter.
“I love the part about faith and belief communities… it's amazing because I didn’t find anything like that on other websites, it is very inclusive, very sensitive.” Good Thinking survey respondent, October 2022
More than 690,000 people have used the Good Thinking service over the last five years – at home, at school, at university and at work; on the bus and on the tube; in the middle of the afternoon and in the early hours of the morning. We’re extremely proud to have had almost a million total visits to our website since 2017 but we’re determined to help even more Londoners find their own path to good mental wellbeing.
“I'd definitely recommend it as a place with useful tips for people like those moving to university, going through bereavement, children.” Good Thinking survey respondent, October 2022
To mark our fifth anniversary, we’ve once again asked Good Thinking stakeholders, including users and representatives of the NHS and local government, for their feedback about the service. We’ve taken their comments and updated the look and feel of Good Thinking and made it easier to find the advice and tools you need to help you look after your mental wellbeing. We’ll unveil the refreshed Good Thinking service later this month – you can rest assured, it still has the same resources that hundreds of thousands of people already trust.
To hear about how Good Thinking is supporting Londoners this winter, please join us at our virtual event at 11:00-12:00 on Thursday 17 November 2022. Professor Kevin Fenton, Regional Director for London at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), will lead the discussion on the impact of the cost of living crisis on mental health and the importance of boosting community resilience through collaboration. For further details and to register, visit our Eventbrite page.
Five ways to use the Good Thinking service
Five years into the Good Thinking journey, here are five ways you can use our service to get the support you need. We hope you find Good Thinking useful and, if you do, please share our website with your friends, family and colleagues – it could be just the help they are looking for.
