More than 30 national organisations, representing many thousands of people, have come together to call for a long-term mental health plan for England.
A Mentally Healthier Nation, published today by Centre for Mental Health on behalf of over 30 national charities, sets out what a long-term government mental health plan for England could look like. It calls for action to tackle poverty and racial injustice, for reforms to the benefits and justice systems, and for further investment in better and more equitable mental health services.
The report draws on evidence provided to the UK Government’s consultation on its proposed ten-year plan to identify the actions that are necessary to protect people’s mental health, reduce mental health inequalities, and improve mental health services nationwide.
The coalition of charities are calling for action to prevent mental ill health. This includes legislating to bring down child poverty, improving housing, and providing effective support for children and families to enjoy better mental health through early years services and schools. Investment in local public health services is also essential to support wellbeing in communities across the country.
A Mentally Healthier Nation sets out how a fairer society could improve everyone’s mental health and give people with a mental illness a better chance in life. It calls for urgent action to reduce the 20-year life expectancy gap for people with severe mental illness, an end to ‘hostile environment’ policies, and a fairer benefits system.
The report calls for further investment in mental health services, building on the start made in the first five years of the NHS Long Term Plan. It says we need to fund mental health and social care services fairly, set new access standards to end long waits for essential services, and modernise the Mental Health Act.
It also calls for urgent action on children’s mental health services, including 100% coverage of school and college mental health support teams, and a national network of young people’s early support hubs.
A Mentally Healthier Nation shows how a national mental health plan could change people’s lives for the better. Backed up with a mental health policy test for all government departments, a national plan could turn around the rise in mental ill health over the last decade that has put mental health services under severe strain across the country.
Children from the poorest families are four times as likely to have a mental health problem by the age of 11 than the wealthiest children while black people in the UK are four times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act than white people
The report also found that people with severe mental illness face a 20-year shorter life expectancy than average in the UK.
A f us.
Centre for Mental Health chief executive Andy Bell said:
“The public’s mental health has deteriorated since the start of this decade. More and more people are seeking help for their mental health. Even with recent growth in NHS mental health services, care is being rationed because the system is overwhelmed. We have to turn this around. A comprehensive cross-government plan could help to improve the nation’s mental health while also boosting mental health services. It could tackle the causes of distress to protect people’s mental health, while also ensuring people living with a mental health difficulty are treated fairly in society. This cannot wait. We call on the Government to act now and on all political parties at the next General Election to commit to a long-term plan to create better mental health for all.”
Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
“An unprecedented number of people are struggling with their mental health, and support services in England are on their knees. A severe lack of funding, which has built up over many years, means that record numbers of people are waiting for the treatment they need. As a result, more and more people are reaching crisis point. To truly tackle the mental health emergency, we need to focus on the causes, not just the effects. This long-term plan lays out the steps those in power need to take to help people to live mentally healthy lives and make sure support is there whenever they need it.”
