The government has claimed to be putting mental health as one of there most important issues when it comes to addressing social issues but for all the rhetoric has anything really changed?
So on that note I have put together a comprehensive list put together by The Bowman Foundation.
A comprehensive list of the top 10 issues surrounding mental health that the government needs to address:
1.Mental Health support in Prisons.
Mental health care in prisons has been neglected for way to long and with the staggering figure that shows that 95% of young offenders suffer from one or more mental health illness, isn't it time to firmly address this inequality.
Solution- We believe that the introduction of specialist mental health services in the heart of all prisons in England and Wales would address this issue and support rehabilitation and reduce reoffending.
2.Lack of mental health support in schools.
With 1 in 10 children and young people suffering from a mental health crisis within our education system we need to invest in more support in schools.
Solution- We believe that we should create a mental health partnership between teachers, local mental health trusts and parents. This would enable mental illness to be addressed of every level of schooling life. The partnership would work closely together to find new and innovative ways to support pupils in crisis.
We have confidence that this innovative idea would see pupils getting the best out of school and inevitably achieve their full potential.
3. Lack of early intervention NHS mental health services.
The lack of mental health provision in our NHS is shocking enough but when you look deeper into the issue, young people are waiting on average at least 6 months before any treatment is administered. This is seeing more and more young people reaching crisis point and turning up in Accident and Emergency.
Solution- Focus the majority of investment on early intervention, this would see the mental health issue addressed at a early point which would mean more lives saved and in the long term an astonishing amount of my money saved.
4.Unemployment and Work.
The troubling truth is that we are seeing more and more young people with mental health problems ending up unemployed and even when they they to get into employment there is not the adequate support to keep them in work.
Solution- At The Bowman Foundation we believe the creation of a specialist support group within the job centre that would focus primarily on getting people with mental health issues back into work. Local mental health charities and mental health trusts to be encouraged to work along side the job centre to get people with mental health issues a achievable, appropriate and accessible pathway back into work.
While in work we are calling for employers to employ a mental health professional to work alongside those who have recently returned to work or are struggling from a mental health crisis while in work. This would see fewer work days lost and a happy workforce.
5.Stigma and Discrimination.
The government has done a lot on addressing the stigma and discrimination that many people with mental illness receive but sadly many people still experience it.
Solution- to continue educating young people from a very early age on mental health and mental illness by introducing it into the school curriculum. Keep running campaigns that create awareness around mental health so that no one has to suffer stigma and discrimination.
Mental health affects us all, whether unwell or not; it touches every department of government. So our final recommendation would be to see the creation of a Minister for Mental Health implemented at the heart of government.
You can find out more about The Bowman Foundation at http://www.thebowmanfoundation.com