---
title: "Mental health charities in the UK — how to compare before…"
description: "Compare mental health charities UK — helplines vs services vs campaigning, Mind vs Samaritans"
source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/causes/mental-health
retrieved: 2026-08-18T01:24:15.546Z
license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0"
---

# Mental health charities in the UK — how to compare before you donate

**In short:** Mental health giving splits between crisis helplines, community services and campaigning. There is no single best mental health charity — match the model, then compare Clarity Scores and cause spend on CharityCompare.

Data from [CharityCompare editorial](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 12 August 2026.

## What mental health charities do

“Mental health” covers 24-hour listening lines, local talking therapies, peer support, research, and public campaigning. A national brand and a city Mind network member can share a name-style and still do different jobs. Check that the activities match what you want funded.

## Which mental health charity is best to donate to?

No single charity wins for every donor. Use this order:

- [Check the charity number](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-check-a-charity-number).

- Pick a model — crisis line, services, campaigning, or a condition-specific group.

- Compare filings on CharityCompare.

- Read [how to compare charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/how-to-compare-charities).

## Head-to-head starting point

Torn between two household names? Open **[Mind vs Samaritans](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare/mind-vs-samaritans)**.

## Efficiency and overheads

Helplines and campaigning spend money differently from clinical services. Use cause spend in context — not the lowest admin slogan. See [charity admin costs UK](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/guides/charity-admin-costs-explained).

## Browse

- [Mental health charities hub](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities/mental-health)

- [Browse mental health](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/mental-health)

- [Dementia](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities/dementia) (related health topic)

This page is how to choose within the cause.
The rated list is [/browse/mental-health](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/mental-health).
Disease-specific hubs live under [/charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charities).