Fresh Vision Makes Mental Health The Priority For All Public Services

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 09 Jul 2009 - 3:00 PDT

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Police, teachers and other public sector workers should be trained in spotting signs of mental ill-health as a new report from a coalition of mental health groups sets out its vision for mental health services that spans across public services.

The Future Vision coalition takes in the full range of mental health groups representing staff, NHS trusts, campaign groups and service users. Its report sets out a vision for good mental health across our society requiring responses from all parts of the public sector and calls for a cabinet level champion to make good mental health ingrained into government policy.

The report shows that mental health is everyone's business. It is estimated that mental ill health costs England £77 billion a year. Nowhere is it a more important issue to address than in children with one report estimated that just one untreated case of childhood conduct disorder has lifetime costs of £150,000.

Steve Shrubb, director of the NHS Confederation's mental health network which represents the majority of NHS mental health trusts and chairs the Future Vision coalition said:

"The nature of mental health and that it will effect so many of us means it is time for all services to respond to the challenge and address the fact that good mental health is not only about NHS services and wards.

"For the first time, we have brought together all the main mental health groups to make the case for tackling people's needs across society - in schools, maternity care, through the Police, job seeking, at work and the armed forces."

"Personalised services, advocacy and advance directives will all help put services users in charge of the support they get. And we need a new partnership between health and social care professionals and service users to empower users and to free workers to deliver the best possible care."

Mind's Chief Executive Paul Farmer said:

"Poor mental health and wellbeing is one of the biggest drains, financially and in every other way, on our nation. But it doesn't have to be, if we work together - and not just the health service, but teachers, town planners, housing authorities, the criminal justice system - mental health is everyone's business. This document sets out what we know works, and what we believe is a achievable and affordable way to a mentally healthy society - this is the chance of a generation and we can't afford not to do it."

Sainsbury Centre Chief Executive Angela Greatley said:

"Mental health services have changed almost beyond recognition over the last decade. But the lives people with mental health problems lead are still too often constrained by prejudice, discrimination and a lack of the right support. And too little is done to promote good mental health in schools, workplaces and communities. Our vision sets out a practical 10-year agenda to achieve better mental health for all and for better life chances for the one in four of us who will experience mental ill health in our lives."

Paul Corry, Rethink Director of Public affairs, said:

"We are calling on the government to fund an ongoing anti stigma and discrimination programme. Mental illness is one of our last great taboos. Even though one in four people will experience a mental health problem at some stage, the stigma and discrimination they face means many people are denied relationships, work, education, hope, and the chance to live an ordinary life that others take for granted."

Policy recommendations from the report include:

- Improving Access to Psychological Therapies should be rolled out nationally and extended to cover children, the elderly, prisoners and those with long term health problems

- Incentives for employers to recruit, support and retain people who have experienced mental health problems.

- The national anti-stigma campaign should get central guaranteed funding when the current Big Lottery Fund and Comic Relief based arrangements expire

- Services need to work with schools, care homes, and the armed forces to promote good mental health among at risk individuals

- Everyone using mental health services should get the support they need to make their lives better on their own terms, not just to control their illness.

Source
MIND