Government risks “damaging decline” in nation’s mental health without action
The government risks overseeing a further damaging decline in the nation’s mental health and leaving behind a generation if they do not take immediate action.
This is the message from a group of thirteen mental health charities today, in an open letter to the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting.
The letter is published on the day leading mental health charity Mind launches its first annual state-of-the-nation report into mental health for England and Wales. The Big Mental Health Report reveals, how as countries, we are now doing worse in almost every aspect of our mental health.
The group, which includes The Centre for Mental Health, Young Minds and Rethink Mental Illness, says the current crisis cannot be underestimated. The charities say that the government must lead the way and provide the vision and investment needed to improve the lives of everybody with a mental health problem.
The group adds in their letter that rapidly rising numbers of people experiencing mental health problems, alongside exploding waiting lists and delayed treatment, is a major barrier to the government being able to deliver on its health and growth missions.
Cross-government mental health plan
The group is calling for a cross-government mental health plan that puts prevention at its heart and addresses social factors, such as poverty and insecure work, that it says can lead to poorer mental health outcomes.
Rising problems, ballooning waiting lists and lower life expectancy
Mind’s Big Mental Health Report draws on the latest available data and trends which further reveals the troubling state of mental health in England and Wales. The charity says the report is and annual commitment to providing the most comprehensive possible picture of mental health.
Key findings include:
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Rates of mental ill health among children have risen from one in nine in 2017 to one in five in 2023
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Referrals to NHS Talking Therapies across all age groups in England rose 4.4 million in 2016/17 to 6.4 million in 2021/22. But the number of people accessing those services only grew from 3.6 million to 4.5 million over the same period.
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NHS mental health bed occupancy is 94% well above recommended safe levels of 85%
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The life expectancy of people with a severe mental illness in England is about 15-20 years shorter than those without
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The economic and social costs of mental health ill health in England is £300bn
Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
“We cannot allow the current crisis to become an acceptable reality for those of us living with mental health problems. Change is possible, but it starts from a place of understanding and facing the truth of what is really happening. The Big Mental Health report gives us that.
“This is a new government and we know that they want answers to the issues raised in our report. We in the sector know what to do. We need a government that believes it is possible to create a mentally healthy nation and takes brave steps forward to tackle the social factors that are driving up illness and improve access to services that get people back to thriving lives.
“The Budget and the Mental Health Bill showed glimmers of promise but did not deliver change on the scale we need. The nation’s mental health cannot wait. If we do not take action now we will be staring at a very bleak future in the face, knowing we could have done something big. This government has a huge mandate, so we ask them to be brave and we will do everything we can to help.”
Kate Anderson (media volunteer), 19, from Surrey. Diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tendencies.
“I first started to experience mental health problems in lockdown when I was in year nine at school. As I approached year 11, my anxiety was so bad that I was having daily panic and anxiety attacks, which meant I was missing lessons. I was close to crisis by the time I reached out.
“I was referred to Children and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) but ended up on a two-year waiting list. It felt like I needed to get worse before I could access the support I needed to feel better. That’s when I began self-harming and experiencing suicidal thoughts for the first time. Had the NHS intervened sooner, it would have made a big difference.
“While I did eventually get some support in the form of talking therapies, I found it was more detrimental than helpful. I subsequently experienced a mental health crisis and again did not receive adequate support, with staff admitting that many people are cycling through services that don’t help them. In the end I had to turn to private counselling. The system isn’t fit to help me. There’s a focus on crisis care, but there needs to be more emphasis on crisis prevention.
“My previous employer made lots of assumptions about me once I disclosed my diagnoses. They didn’t have a conversation with me about what support I might need. Their lack of communication caused me so much anxiety that I felt forced to leave. Thankfully, I’m now in a job where being open about your mental health is valued. I have great support, which has helped me so much.”
