Mind responds to Schizophrenia Commission report

Posted Wednesday 14 November 2012

The Schizophrenia Commission have launched a report detailing the findings and recommendations from their year-long inquiry into how outcomes for people with schizophrenia and psychosis can be improved.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

Mind welcomes this important piece of research, which highlights the urgent need for improvement in the levels of support available to people experiencing severe mental health problems.

The findings resonate with Mind’s own experience of support for people with mental health problems, in particular around acute and crisis care. Our crisis care campaign has found that people with urgent mental health issues often struggle to access the treatment they need.

We are particularly concerned about the report’s findings on the continuing rise in the use of compulsory treatment orders, which we know are often used with people who have no history of non-compliance with treatment. This is an issue which raises serious questions about whether the human rights of people with mental health problems are being overlooked.

Over £224 million a year could be saved by preventing people reaching crisis point through intervention at an early stage. We are calling for an increase in services where people can self-refer, rather than having to wait until their mental health gets bad enough to meet current high eligibility thresholds.

These include early intervention services to prevent crisis as well as increased access to talking therapies to better support people in hospital from relapsing. Mind’s research has shown that only 29% of people receive a talking therapy while in hospital. This is less than half of those who asked for it.

Mind is calling for services that are built on human values, with more choice of care, timely help, and where people are treated with respect, have someone to talk to and feel safe.

Read the full report from the Schizophrenia Commission. 

Find out more about our crisis care campaign and how you can take action. 

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