IIMHL Features – England

Whole-person care: from rhetoric to reality in achieving parity between mental and physical health

A new Report from England argues more should be done to ensure mental health treatments are on the same level as treatments for physical health and more promotion of good mental health and improved funding into research into mental illness are all also crucial for ensuring parity of esteem between­­­ the two aspects of healthcare.

The report, developed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in conjunction with other mental health organisations, highlights the significant inequalities that still exist between physical and mental health care, including preventable premature deaths, lower treatment rates for mental health conditions and an underfunding of mental healthcare relative to the scale and impact of it. It also highlights the strong relationship between mental and physical health. Poor mental health is associated with a greater risk of physical health problems, and poor physical health is associated with a greater risk of mental health problems.

The report makes a series of key recommendations for Government, policy-makers and health professionals, as well as the new NHS structures which came into force on April 1 including the NHS England, Clinical Commissioning Groups and Public Health England.

Professor Sue Bailey, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “Much has been done to improve mental health in the last 10 years but it still does not receive the same attention as physical health, and the consequences can be serious. People with severe mental illness have a reduced life expectancy of 15-20 years, yet the majority of reasons for this are avoidable. Achieving parity of esteem for mental health is everybody’s business and responsibility. We therefore urge the Government, policy-makers, service commissioners and providers, professionals and the public to always think in terms of the whole person – body and mind – and to apply a ‘parity test’ to all their activities and to their attitudes.

Improving Personalised Care and Support for People with Mental Health Problems

From the UK this new guide aims to increase the number of people with mental health problems experiencing the full benefits of personalised care and support. Currently, only 9% of people with mental health problems of working-age have a personal budget, compared to 29% of older people and 41% of adults with a learning disability. Paths to Personalisation, published by the National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTi), offers examples of what needs to be in place to make personalisation work in mental health. It provides examples drawn from latest practice and policy and up-to-date sources of advice for people. Coproduced with people who use mental health services and service professionals, the guide will help organisations meet government priorities to increase people’s choice and control over the care and support they experience.

Additional Features from Scotland

The British Journal of Psychiatry – Special issue focussing on campaign and attitudes

This special issue focuses on stigma and discrimination in England. It describes evaluations of the ‘Time to Change’ campaign conducted in England. It also looks at employment and role of the media.

There are seven articles followed by comments by leading mental health people.
Content Page April 2013, Volume 202, Issue s55 – all open access.

Adult Mental Health Benchmarking Toolkit: Year ending 31st March 2012
(2013). Scotland: National Health Services.
Annual publication of the Mental Health Benchmarking Toolkit comprising data up to 31st March 2010. The toolkit provides information on a range of indicators to compare key aspects of the Adult Mental Health Service in Scotland.

For general enquiries about this update or for other IIMHL information please contact Erin Geaney at erin@iimhl.com