23 July 2009
In response to the launch of the government’s New Horizons consultation on the future of mental health after the end of the current National Service Framework, Dr Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“A key test for all these proposals will be their implementation. We know from the previous mental health strategy that only initiatives with a clear delivery plan get done. There’s too much at stake for the nation’s future for these ideas to sit on the shelf.”
“The idea of a youth mental health service is a good one. The transition to adulthood is when many mental health problems can become embedded. Most people with a mental health problem have been diagnosed by the age of 18. It’s much more sensible, not to mention cost effective, to help people stay well than pick up the pieces later on in life when their problems have become more serious.
“New Horizons represents a welcome and long overdue shift in emphasis to promotion and prevention. As a nation, we can’t go on pretending that the term mental health only applies to a small group of people - those with a diagnosis. Everyone has mental health that needs to be looked after, and the costs of not doing so are huge in terms of human suffering and to the economy.”
Notes to editors
- In a sample of 1,037 26-year-olds, half had been first diagnosed with mental health problems between the ages of 11 and 15, and over three-quarters had been diagnosed by the time they were 18. (Kim-Cohen et al., 2003)
- There has been an 80% increase in young women 16-24 reporting self-harm in England since 2000 (NHS Adult Psychiatric Morbidity in England report, ONS)
- It is estimated that a child with a conduct disorder will, by the age of 28, have generated costs (such as to the health, education, benefits and criminal justice systems) ten times as high as a child without conduct problems. (Scott S et al., 2001)
- In adult mental health services, only 0.1% of investment was in mental health promotion for the financial year 2007/08 (National Survey of Investment in Mental Health, 2007/08)
- In 2002/3 the economic and social costs of mental health problems was calculated to be £77bn. (Sainsbury Centre, 2003)
For further information call the Mental Health Foundation press office on 020 7803 1130/28
The Mental Health Foundation uses research and practical projects to help people survive, recover from and prevent mental health problems. We work to influence policy, including government at the highest levels. And we use our knowledge to raise awareness and to help tackle the stigma attached to mental illness. We reach millions of people every year through our media work, information booklets and online services.
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