Mental health services should be a key focus for local authorities

Posted Thursday 10 January 2013

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said:

“We welcome the announcement that the government has granted local authorities over £5billion to dedicate to public health strategy over the next two years.

“Public mental health and public physical health go hand-in-hand. People with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease, are two to three times more likely to experience mental health problems than the general population and people with severe mental health problems die on average 20 years earlier than those without. Traditional public health priorities such as smoking, obesity and sexual health are closely related to mental wellbeing, so local authorities need to take an integrated approach.

“With this funding, we hope that local authorities will recognise the importance of services aimed at promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems, alongside traditional public health services aimed at improving physical health.”

For more information about Mind's public health campaign, click here

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