TRIGGER WARNING!
This website contains poetry and true stories about trauma, personality disorders, suicidal thoughts, self-harming, depression and other significant mental health issues, as well as personal stories of emotional neglect and physical and sexual abuse, which some people might find disturbing.
Poetry for Mental Health
Supporting people with mental health challenges by motivating and inspiring them to write poetry.
FUNDRAISING
It's time to fundraise, so PLEASE help support Poetry for Mental Health as it continues promoting, publishing and showcasing poetry for mental health into 2026. Thank you so much ... together we can keep supporting people around the world through words and poetry!
"Poetry for Mental Health has supported thousands of people around the world through words and poetry!"
"Formed at the outbreak of COVID by helping people cope mentally by inspiring them to write poetry; four years, six books, hundreds of poets, and thousands of pieces of poetry later, we are still inspiring people to write poetry for positive mental health! With around 1400 visitors now each and every month, Poetry for Mental Health is now probably the largest and most visited website for poetry and mental health on the net!"
ROBIN BARRATT
Founder POETRY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
"No matter what your age, background and experience, culture or identity; whether an established writer with many published titles to your credit, or an aspiring poet who has never written a word of poetry in your life, our philosophy here is to embrace, welcome and support everyone, everywhere suffering from mental health challenges, and help you cope through words and poetry ... Get writing!"
This Weekend's Featured Poetry
26th April, 2025
PAST REGRET
By Paul Parker
Filled by degree with regret
For past decisions made.
Hindsight's mocking inclination,
Firmly inculcated in actions
Of the past.
A realisation of memory that
Recalls a mistake, a mistake that
Will haunt the future hence.
Regret is the bitter taste of
Emotion that haunts the soul,
That saddens the spirit.
ABOUT PAUL: Paul is a 69 year-old retiree and military veteran. He lives with his wife in a village near Shrewsbury in England. He has been reading and writing poetry for many years. He was diagnosed PTSD in 2006, as a result of his military service. Writing Poetry calms his soul - it is a great coping mechanism.
27th April, 2025
VOICES IN YOUR HEAD
By Rebecca L. Bishop
It’s not always easy, to stop the voices in your head,
That take over your thoughts and fill your mind with dread.
It’s not always easy, to unhear what they say,
For the voices seem to there, day after day.
It’s not always easy, as the voices also invade your dreams,
Taking over your life, making you want to scream.
It’s not always easy, as the voices can only be heard by you,
Controlling what you think, controlling what you do.
It’s not always easy, people dismiss how you feel,
They don’t understand, that to you the voices seem so real.
It’s not always easy, no matter how hard you try,
For the voices in your head, never seem to say goodbye.
More Featured Poetry ...
On the themes of mental health, from poets around the world.
Poetry by: K. Hayden, Howa Ramadan, Pip McDonald, Celeste Bowling, Amber Drake, Christopher Johnson, Joanne Beechey, Todd Matson, Michael H. Brownstein, Douglas Gladis, Christina WP, Carrie Farrar, Andrew Farrow, Alexis W. H. Chung, John Victor, MZH, Shyla Register, Kelly Maida, Alex Vorhies, Kristian Ford, John Moody, Emmi-Heléna Daals, Acton Bell, Lynette Lim, Iris Taylor, Emily Astey, R. Schilke, Ruth Zwald, Maryellen Polikoff, Norma Zimmermann, Caroline Allen, Riley M. Frank, John Tunaley, Ashe, Mike Whiting, Gary Shulman, Abby Alexander, Ella Grimes, Sara Ponferrada Reed, Wynn Vu, Harriet Coppard, Mike Gosalia, Rabindra Anselm Mariathasan, Pam Ski, Garima Sachdev Kapoor, Joan Kantor, Jamie Gannon, Susannah Chatfield, Emma Follett, Nigel Pinhorn, Boakesey, Bella Hope Smith, Milena Dimitrova, Nivedita Karthik, Annette Towler, Lana, Tara Reyes, Donna McCabe, Tony Cooney, Peter W. Morris,
Mark Andrew Heathcote, Paul Parker, Angus Shoor Caan, Duane Anderson, Shahida, Joan McNerney, C.W. Blackburn, David T. Culkin, John F. Zurn, Christine Botros, Francis H. Powell, Simon Drake, Dionne Risley, Roo Newsome, Sherri Levine, Kathleen Chamberlin, Tandra Mishra, Caroline Berry, Angela Masciale, Chris Stokes, Reno Mcgreggor Connelly, Vatsala Radhakeesoon, Martin Embree, Dan Healy, Tadgh Quill-Manley, Reuben Scott, Paulette Hampton, Dr. Sabrina Rubin, Donna Crossno, Sasha Irwin, Bella Hope Smith, Lindsay Walter, Dale "Coyote" Johnson, Jennifer L. Alukonis, Alexander A. Henning, Emma Welch, Sophie Squires, Chris McClelland, Sasha Irwin, Faiqa Ali Chughtai, Hari Berrow, Annie Walsh, Andrea Mitchell, Victoria Fitzgerald, Mohammed Ali, Rebecca L. Bishop,
Chad Boucher, Jason Kirk Bartley, Zack Benz, Jordan Claeys, Nicole Crossno, Valentina Fulginiti, Ethan Boyd, Heidi Hildeman, Oscar Lozano, Anthony Ward, Addie Suter, Dionne Risley, David M. White, PhD, Melissa W. Sorgi, Kyra Merryman, Hilary Canto,Amelia May Hart, Reese, Anneli Knight, Keila Cruz, Bhagvati Patel, Cynthia Foss, Amber Roeder, April Bulmer, Chelsea Garcia, Trish Lundy, Divya Paliwal, Jeanette Stephenson, Luke Preston, Autumn Johnson, Amy Harris, Braxsen Sindelar, Kristen Moody, Sindy Stern, Sam Hendrian, Deby Cedars, Kiran Harrar, William Gray, Spruce Craft, Tim Boardman, Prudence Massaria, Binod Dawadi, James Aitchison, Natalie Hussey, Kiran Harrar, and Amanda Hancock.
"Why is poetry so very good for people with mental health challenges? Because it helps them see the world in their own way, and in a way that makes sense to them.."
Robin Barratt
Books
Click on the covers for further details of all our titles. With thousands of contributions from hundreds of writers and poets around the world, our anthologies are probably some of the largest collections on mental health ever published. Please buy a copy -
ALL
profits from the sales of our titles go towards promoting and publishing poetry for positive mental health.
Forthcoming ...
Our next title will be: ANXIETY & DEPRESSION - A collection of interviews, personal stories, poetry and short prose from around the world on the themes of anxiety & depression.
NOW OPEN FOR CONTRIBUTIONS!
Click below for further details and submission guideline.
Deadline 31st May, 2025
“No matter how bad something may seem at that moment in time when you feel all is lost, it can get better if you can only give it more time."
Lynda Tavakoli
Personal Journeys
In their own words, poets and writers write about their own personal journey with mental health.
Interviews
Poetry for Mental Health chats to writers and poets about their journey with mental health.
NEW - Articles
Articles about poetry and positive mental health. MORE ONLINE SHORTLY.
Featured Poets
Featuring over 60 poets around the world, with up to six pieces of their work, and a little about the author and the stories behind their work.
"People can benefit from writing poetry because it can take the images and the talk in your head and transfer it to paper. It’s like getting the words out
of your head so that they don’t linger there."
Nadine Dunseith
NEW - Writing Poetry for Mental Health Workshops
Poetry for Mental Health will shortly be runing half-day workshops across the East Anglia (and beyond) for charities, groups and organisation that would like to use poetry as therapy for its members and the people it supports. A lovely way to learn how to put thoughts, feelings and emotions down on paper! Private one-to-one workshops will also be available.
A separate page with further details will be online here shortly, in the meantime, contact us for for more information.
Other info ...
Directory of Support Services
Charities, groups and organisations worldwide offering mental health help and support to people in crisis.
Mental Health First Aid
Identifying warning signs of common mental health crisis, and how to guide a person towards safety and appropriate help. Read more ...
NEW - Classifieds
A great way to advertise your mental health related products and services to a global audience.
Donate
Please donate and keep Poetry for Mental Health running for yet another year.
Newletter
Be kept updated with our news and calls for submissions.
NOTE ON CONTRIBUTIONS: We publish mental health poetry from around the world, and for a number contributors to this website, English is not their first language. Unlike some other platforms, we don't heavily edit a poet's own work (if we did, it would then not be their own work!), so please focus on a poet's messages and meanings, and not necessarily on any grammatical mistakes or translated imperfections that may arise within their contribution.