Posted: Monday 3 August 2009
The Government recently published New Horizons, a consultation document on the future of mental health services for the next ten years. It's a pivotal moment for the lives of millions of people who experience mental health problems.
For decades, if not centuries, people with mental health problems have been excluded, marginalised, stigmatised and discriminated against. Even today, we still hear of lives wrecked, opportunities denied and ambitions ruined not because of the mental ill-health that someone experiences, but because of the stigma that still exists.
Yet, quietly, and slowly, things have started to change. There is reasonable evidence to suggest that the much-mailigned mental health services, have improved as a result of increased investment and a shared understanding of what works. That package of support needs to include talking treatments as well as dedicated staff, supporting the person in their journey of recovery. Although this is a patchy experience for many, there are signs that services are improving.
That in turn is matched by a wider interest in mental health by society at large. Barely a day goes by without a media article about mental health. But instead of articles mainly focussing on "mad axemen", the daily diet of mental health stories are of achieving great things (or ordinary things), breakthroughs in legal rights and an increasingly strong voice of the "user" demanding recognition as equal citizens not just decent mental health services.
At Mind in the last two months, we've worked with seven different government departments, met with senior representatives of companies, Eastenders scriptwriters and Alastair Campbell. Through the Time to Change campaign, we've reached large numbers of the population with a simple message that mental health affects us all.
Now, mental health is everybody's business.
So here's the challenge. The government's 10 year strategy for mental health (a National Service Framework) ends this autumn. It's the middle of a recession, and the risk is that all the progress will disappear.
But there's a chance to change all that. Mental health and wellbeing should be the cornerstone of post-recession Britain. It should be perceived not as a subset of the NHS, vitally important though high quality services are, but as a concern of the whole of government. A joined up strategy which recognises people as people, not customers of individual government departments, could make a huge difference. An economic difference in supporting people with mental health problems to work, a social difference in creating a less stigmatising society, and most importantly of all, a personal difference to hundreds of thousands of people.
A couple of weeks ago, I met up with Stuart. I hadn't seen him for a few years. Last time, he was a bit overweight (as a result of his medication for his schizophrenia) but was telling me about his dream of conquering Everest. Now, he's looking great-trim, fit and raring to go. He'd just come back from Everest base camp on an acclimatisation trip. It may sound like a cliché, but people really can climb their own mountains.
This government consultation needs the widest possible public debate. If we have learnt from previous recessions, we must prioritise mental health, even when finances are tight. If we fail now, the consequences will be severe, economically, socially and personally.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive, Mind
Commenting is now closed.