Summary
Today is World Mental Health Day, which has aroused lots of announcements and initiatives.
First Global Ministerial Mental Health Summit
Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care re-visited the national ambition for mental health to have an equal status / priority as physical health, in addition to playing-host to an international ministerial mental health summit on global action to tackle mental ill-health.
Reference
Matt Hancock calls for world to unite in responding to the challenge of mental health. [Online]: Department of Health and Social Care, October 9th 2018.
Suicide Prevention Minister Appointed
Reference
World Mental Health Day: PM appoints suicide prevention minister. London: BBC Health News, October 10th 2018.
Prime Minister Theresa May announced funding for the Samaritans’ helpline:
Reference
PM pledges action on suicide to mark World Mental Health Day. [Online]: Department of Health and Social Care, October 9th 2018.
Access to Mental Health Services / Long Waiting Times
The BBC News NHS Tracker and analysis raises some fundamental questions about current standards of mental health services:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2018). Does the UK have much to shout about on World Mental Health Day? London: BBC Health News, October 10th 2018.
Performance against mental health targets in local areas monitored:
Reference
Check NHS cancer, A&E, ops and mental health targets in your area. London: BBC Health News, October 10th 2018.
Monitoring regional variations in IAPT performance:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2018). Depressed? The places not to live if you need help. London: BBC Health News, October 19th 2018.
All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health Report
The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health’s progress report (compiled by Rethink Mental Illness and the Royal College of Psychiatrists) on NHS England’s mental health strategy, the NHS Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.
Reference
Progress of the Five Year Forward View for Mental Health: on the road to parity. London: All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Mental Health, October 2018.
Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development
The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development aims to “reframe” the construct of mental health, using perspectives from diverse scientific fields and real-world experiences.
Reference
Patel, V. Saxena, S. [and] Lund, C. [et al] (2018). The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. Lancet. October 9th 2018. [Epub ahead of print].
Every Mind Matters Campaign (PHE)
Public Health England’s Every Mind Matters campaign, launched in the Midlands, helps adults to look after their mental health (self-care), indicating simple steps to help manage anxiety, low mood, stress and insomnia.
“ …the Every Mind Matters Guide is robust, reliable and certified by leading experts in mental health. The Content Delivery Group members involved include: Mind, Mental Health Foundation, MHFA England, Samaritans, Royal Foundation, Centre for Mental Health, Rethink, Time to Change, NSUN, What Works Centre for Wellbeing, Campaign to End Loneliness and Good Thinking”.
Reference
New mental health campaign launched across the Midlands. London: Public Health England, October 9h 2018.
Background Interest
Possibly of incidental interest, on mindfulness:
Reference
World Mental Health Day: What is mindfulness? London: BBC Health News, October 10th 2018.
Notes on Workplace Stress
Reference
Pym, H. (2018). How do you tackle stress in the workplace? London: BBC Health News, December 5th 2018.
Economic Hardship Associated With Increases in Demand for Mental Health Care?
Reference
‘Benefit changes adding to mental health problems’. London: BBC Health News, March 8th 2019.
Access to Children’s Mental Health Services
A review of regional variations in access to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
Reference
Crenna-Jennings, W. [and] Hutchinson, J. (2018). Access to children and young people’s mental health services. London: Education Policy Institute, October 2018.
The National Audit Office (NAO) report on this topic offers a similarly cautious review of progress, and concludes that “the government cannot demonstrate that it has yet delivered value for money”, given remaining weaknesses and uncertainties.
Reference
The Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office: Morse, A. (2018). Improving children and young people’s mental health services (HC 1618). Session 2017–2019. London: The Stationery Office [Department of Health and Social Care / National Audit Office (NAO) and Health Education England], October 9th 2018.
There is also an Executive Summary.
Children’s Commissioner for England’s Report on Gap in NHS Mental Health Support
BBC News analysis, touching on the debate whether social media may play a role in the increasing prevalence of young people with mental health problems:
Reference
Triggle, N. (2018). Mental health: One in four young women struggling. London: BBC Health News, November 22nd 2018.
February 2019 Update
Reference
Schraer, R. (2019). Is young people’s mental health getting worse? London: BBC Health News / BBC Reality Check Team, February 11th 2019.
Possibly of interest, regarding the epidemiology of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in young people (England and Wales):
Reference
Therrien, A. (2019). PTSD affects ‘one in 13 by age of 18’. London: BBC Health News, February 22nd 2019.
Individual Placement and Support (IPS): Helping People with Mental Ill-Health Back Into Work
The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) voluntary scheme involves employment specialists offering coaching, advice, practical help on finding jobs, preparation for interviews and liaison between patients, potential employers and medical staff.
“These schemes have also been shown to be cost-effective. A Centre for Mental Health review calculated that they can free up as much as £6,000 per patient over 18 months, which can be invested in other frontline care”.
Reference
Thousands more set to get help as NHS rolls out mental health job coaches. [Online]: NHS England, April 20th 2019.
