The UK must invest in mental health help

http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/24/the-uk-must-invest-in-mental-health-help

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With the publication of the spending review on Wednesday (Report, 24 November), it’s imperative the government invests in psychological therapies. Failure to address mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, devastates lives, puts a huge strain on the government budget and undermines economic productivity. Psychological health problems have a worse impact on people’s happiness and life satisfaction than physical health problems. In financial terms, the cost of mental ill health in England has been estimated to be £105bn per year.

Fortunately, a number of evidence-based psychological therapies exist and are effective. Investment in psychological therapies to date has been a success, but it is a success that could be multiplied. The improving access to psychological therapies programme is only funded to reach “at least 15%” of the people who need it, and retention and recovery rates could be improved. Everyone with a need for psychological therapy should be able to access it within 28 days. We urge more research funding to show which therapies work best for which people. And we advocate training to ensure the NHS workforce can deliver in practice the full range of evidence-based therapies that it offers in theory. We believe this would go a long way towards improving the wellbeing of the nation and the state of the public finances.Janet Weisz Chair, UK Council for PsychotherapyPaul Farmer Chief executive, MindGary Fereday Chief executive, British Psychoanalytic CouncilProfessor Sean Duggan Chief executive, Centre for Mental HealthMark Winstanley Chief executive, Rethink Mental IllnessDr Hadyn Williams CEO, British Association for Counselling and PsychotherapyProfessor Simon Wessely President, Royal College of PsychiatristsProfessor Jamie Hacker Hughes President, British Psychological SocietyGareth Crossman Director, OCD ActionLiz McElligott Chief executive, National Counselling SocietyHeather Stewart Chair, Association of Child PsychotherapistsCynthia Joyce Chief executive, MQ: Transforming Mental HealthSusanna Abse Chief executive,Tavistock Centre for Couple RelationshipsAngela Drizi Trustee, International Society for Psychological and Social Approaches to PsychosisJohn Barns National Counselling Network

• The situation facing thousands of disabled people since the closure of the independent living fund at the end of June is just one example of how cuts and the crisis in social care are breaching disability rights. Assurances were given that the closure of the ILF was a transfer, not a cut, by both the minister for disabled people and the chancellor. In a letter to the Guardian (12 June)Justin Tomlinson said “the claim that support made available to some disabled people under the independent living fund is to be removed” was “a travesty of the truth”. In an interview on BBC Look North before the election, Osborne said that the ILF was “such an important fund … that we will be able to include it in the budgets going forwards”. Reality is not living up to the rhetoric.

Local authorities facing massive social care budget shortfalls have already made devastating cuts to support packages since the end of June: in one area 53 out of 60 former ILF recipients are facing cuts to their packages, with more than a quarter facing dramatic cuts of over 50% of their support. We call on the government to uphold its pledges to protect former ILF recipients and to ensure further funding is not only devolved to local authorities in the autumn statement, but also ringfenced.Linda Burnip Co-founder, Disabled People Against CutsTracey Lazard CEO, Inclusion LondonSean McGovern Unite, TUC general councillor for disabled workersJane Campbell Baroness Campbell of Surbiton DBEJenny MorrisBill Scott Inclusion ScotlandWonta Ansah-Twum Disability Law ServiceCaroline Collier Barnet Centre for Independent LivingMel Close Disability Equality North WestTracey Jannaway Independent Living AlternativesAndrew Lee Director, People First (Self Advocacy)Mark Harrison Equal LivesJo Sutton Our Vision Our FutureJoyce Kallevik Director, WishEmily Morton Disability SheffieldNigel Long Harrow Association of Disabled PeopleJon Abrams Redbridge Disability Consortium and Redbridge Concern for Mental HealthLaura Welti Bristol Disability Equality ForumGeraldine Bentley Wiltshire Centre for Independent LivingSimon Legg Spinal Injuries AssociationEllen Collins Ealing Centre for Independent LivingMike Sivier Owner/writer Vox PoliticalSimon Duffy Centre for Welfare ReformJohn McArdle Co-founder, Black Triangle campaignNavin Kikabhai Alliance for Inclusive EducationBarry McDonald Bromley Experts by Experience CICDavid Strong Disability Advice Service LambethFrances Leckie Independent LivingDr Ju Gosling Regard, the national LGBT disabled people’s organisationSally Paull Positive Signs LtdMarsha DeCordova South East London VisionChris Sterry FLASH Core groupSimone Aspis Changing PerspectivesDouglas Johnson Unity LawDr Armineh Soorenian Sisters of FridaPatrick MacNamarra Wales Council for Deaf PeopleAlex Thorburn Dumfries and Galloway Access PanelRob Punton Community Navigator Services CICJon Glackin Streets KitchenFelix Henson Autonomous Queer ActionRick Burgess #NewApproachNigel Long Cabinet member, health and wellbeing, Milton KeynesAnna McMullen Green party, Bristol city councilLouise WhitfieldVin West Chair, Arfon access group and parent of former ILF recipientAnne Novis Former ILF recipientRoxanne Homayoun Former ILF recipientMark Williams Former ILF recipientSophie Partridge Former ILF recipientLise Marron Former ILF recipientPenny Pepper Former ILF recipientMary Laver Former ILF recipientAnn Whitehurst Former ILF recipientRichard Parker Former ILF recipientJanice Burns Former ILF recipientRuth Bailey Former ILF recipientNick Myers Former ILF recipientDon Jones Family carer of former ILF recipientIrene M Andow Parent of former ILF recipientChristine Stringer Parent of former ILF recipientVal Barcroft Parent of former ILF recipientBrian Hilton Manchester DPACMarion Fallon Norfolk DPACMerry Cross Berkshire DPACLouise Moran Bromley DPACMartin Tolley Suffolk DPACJill Goble Brighton DPACDebbie Jolly DPACEllen Clifford DPACPaula Peters DPACAndy Greene DPACBob Ellard DPACAnita Bellows DPACRoger Lewis DPACDr Stephen Carty Medical Advisor, Black Triangle CampaignMatthew Snedker Darlington Green partyDavid Herbert South Tyneside Green partyJo Fitzgerald Stockton on Tees Green partyTara FloodMike SteelZara ToddMike Llewelyn CoxMatt StabbJane YoungJulie ThorntonSusan KirkmanGill PriceMark PotterDennis CheethamMaria PirosiMarvin BritlandKarl BritlandCatherine SorsbyBrian StockerTamanna ChoudhuryRaymond JohnsonDaniel HeffernanPauline BishopSuaad WalkerBarry HaywardNeil FroggattFrancesca PrattNigel BakerAlan MurrayVal BowenLucy NewhamBlake WilliamsonAnne WilliamsonLucy GreenKaren SmithKate Nicholas SolicitorKate WhittakerClaira GayleMaria ByrneEmma FreemanThomas SutcliffeCatherine HaleJon Paul PriceMaik FinchMelissa CadeDavid LyonsPoppy HastedDeborah GeorgePhillip BayesErica ThomasBarbara HulmeJan CafferkeyMichael CafferkeyPaul AndrewsMiriam BinderCllr Kathy BoleJenny HambidgePhilip ThompsonKristina VeaseyStephen LukeRoger StokerJohn Hargrave Jean Glaves AdvocateGregory LathamFlis CothamMalika Marie Le MessurierAlex SandersonKirstie CharlesworthAnita SturdyLyn GardenchildDavid LongsterKathryn StewartGail DawsonChristina MartinezRichard DownesJean Gleaves AdvocateGabriel Parlour

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