At the Charity Commission annual meeting, the Prime Minister pledged to help schools and companies in the UK deal with the ‘burning injustice’ and stigma surrounding mental illness.
Demanding a new approach from government and society as a whole, Theresa May said that mental health had been ‘dangerously disregarded’ as secondary to physical health for too long. Mrs May outlined proposed measures to transform the way we deal with mental health problems across society, with a focus on children and young people.
Measures include training for teachers in secondary schools; additional training to employers and organisations in supporting staff; and more focus on community care such as crisis cafes and local clinics.
Mental health campaigners recognise the significance of this initiative, as statistics show 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year, with over half of mental health problems starting by the age of 14 and 75% by 18. According to NHS Digital, young women are the highest risk group in England for mental health problems.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt commented that care for children and young people was a ‘black spot’ that needed urgent attention as the pressures of social media, cyber bullying and self-harming was a ‘massive worry for parents’.
Mental health experts have said more funding is needed to improve services across the UK. Sane, a leading UK mental health charity, said these plans need to be matched by substantially increased funds to mental health trusts. Education leaders backed the proposed plans that focused on young people, however they also had concerns regarding funding.
We hope that the focus on mental illness in the Prime Minister’s first major speech on health will raise the profile of the issue, and confirm the drive to achieve true ‘parity of esteem’ with physical health which Mrs May believes will go “right to the heart of our humanity”.
Although the recognition of mental health conditions as true illnesses is becoming more common, there’s still a lack of understanding around conditions such as depression and anxiety.
We have a range of qualifications available that are designed to increase learners’ knowledge and understanding of mental health and mental wellbeing. One of these qualifications – our Level 3 Certificate in Understanding Mental Health – was developed in collaboration with Tyneside Mind, a charity that delivers mental health services across Tyneside and Northumberland, to ensure that it met the needs of the sector. You can read more about this here.
