The evidence is clear, the nation's mental health is getting worse - Mind
Mind has responded to the latest Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, the first time the data has been released since 2016. The survey provides a key picture of the scale of mental health problems in England.
Key findings from the report include:
-
One in five (20.2%) adults in England had a Common Mental Health Condition (CMHC), with prevalence higher in women (24.2%) than men (15.4%). The most prevalent CMHCs were Generalised Anxiety Disorder (7.5%), Depression (3.8%), and the general category of CMHC-NOS (8.6%). This is up from one in six at the time of the last survey.
-
CMHCs have increased in prevalence among 16 to 64 year olds: from 15.5% in 1993, 17.5% in 2000, 17.6% in 2007, and 18.9% in 2014, to 22.6% in 2023/4. Increases since 2014 were evident in males and females, and most age groups.
-
CMHCs are more prevalent in the most deprived fifth of areas (26.2%) than in the least deprived fifth of areas (16.0%). People with problem debt were twice as likely to have a CMHC (39.0%) as those with no problem debt (18.4%). This pattern of association was similar for men and women. Among working age adults, unemployed (40.0%) and economically inactive (38.8%) people were more likely to have a CMHC than those in employment (18.3%). This association was stronger for men than women.
-
Regional disparities in CMHCs were evident, with people in the North East (24.6%) and East Midlands (24.6%) more likely to have a CMHC than those in the South East (16.3%) and South West (18.7%).
-
The proportion of people receiving treatment increased since 2007. Among 16 to 74 year olds with CMHC symptoms, receipt of either psychotropic medication or psychological therapies was stable between 2000 (23.1%) and 2007 (24.4%), increasing to 39.4% in 2014 and 47.7% in 2023/4. The proportion reporting psychological therapies rose from 10.4% in 2007 to 17.9% in 2023/4; and the proportion using medication rose from 19.6% in 2007 to 38.4% in 2023/4.
Dr Sarah Hughes, Chief Executive of Mind, said:
“The nation’s mental health is deteriorating, and our current system is overwhelmed, underfunded, and unequal to the scale of the challenge.
“After the trauma of the pandemic, the relentless cost-of-living crisis, and persistent racial inequalities, it is no surprise that mental health has suffered – especially for the young. But it is unacceptable that services still aren’t meeting people’s needs.
“We are seeing some benefits of investment — more people are accessing support, and that’s progress. However waiting lists remain long, and care is patchy, and many are left to struggle alone while they wait for support.
“Helping people into meaningful, well-paid work can play a role in recovery. But this must never be used to justify cutting vital benefits. Removing that safety net will only worsen people’s mental health and push them further from employment, not closer.
“What we need is the ambition and leadership to ensure nobody is held back by living with a mental health condition. We need a 10-Year Health Plan that addresses the funding gulf between mental and physical health, prioritises community-based care, and keeps the promise to treat mental health with the urgency and equity it deserves.”
