The NHS Digital report on the prevalence of mental health problems in England has laid bare the stark challenge we face (Mental illness soars among young women in England, 29 September). Record numbers of adults in England are now living with mental health problems, with some groups and communities facing heightened risks – notably young women, people in mid-life, BME communities and those living on benefits. One conclusion from the study should be that people deserve access to good quality support and treatment. It is encouraging that more people are now receiving services.
However, we are a long way from recognising and addressing the factors that multiply the risks of some people many times over. Changes over the past decade have led to elevated risks for young women, people aged 55-64, both groups facing challenging transitions, and people depending on employment and support allowance.
Solutions exist; we need the motivation to use them. If we were confronted with a similar surge in people with physical health problems, we would not simply seek to treat those who became unwell, we would also focus on prevention. To tackle the crisis in mental health we need to take a similar approach.
Jenny Edwards
Chief executive, Mental Health Foundation
• The Guardian is right to ask for a wake-up call on the rising tide of mental illness among children and young people (‘Wake up’ call on children’s mental health crisis, 3 October). At the Association of Colleges we know from our surveys that the incidence of mental ill health among students is at record levels in colleges. It is so important to get them the support they need and this is currently hampered by a complicated and locally variable system.
Jeremy Hunt says tackling the problems of mental health in children and young people is a priority for the government but we now need to see a joined-up approach across all age ranges – whether that’s children at school or post 16-year-olds studying at further education and sixth-form colleges. Colleges and schools play a central role in tackling mental ill-health and if the government is serious about achieving parity with physical health treatment, then there not only needs to be more funding made available, but a joined-up approach across government departments, as well as local support agencies.
Ian Ashman
President, Association of Colleges
• The reported increase in mental illness raises two key issues. First, it highlights the importance of diagnostic thresholds, which are changeable. Given that mental illnesses are defined by symptoms (rather than blood tests or scans), the key issue is: how does this person benefit from diagnosis? Does diagnosis help with understanding, treatment, wellness? This bring us to the second issue: what treatment and supports are available? You report that just one in three receives treatment in England. The World Health Organisation reports that only 25% can access treatment in many lower-income countries. We need to look after each other better and more.
Brendan Kelly
Professor of psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin
• It is not enough to treat the mental health problems of children without digging deeply into the causes and planning prevention. The NHS never considers the impact on health of low incomes, and the Department for Work and Pensions did not consider the impact of freezing low incomes and cutting housing and council tax benefits on the health of families, in particular the health of women before and during pregnancy.
It is impossible for a young woman to buy a healthy diet, estimated to cost £43 a week, and other necessities when receiving £57.90 a week jobseeker’s allowance, which can be stopped by the Jobcentre for one or three months. That £43 a week has been researched for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by nutritionists at the University of York. Evidence from the Institute for Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, replicated throughout the world, has shown that poor maternal nutrition increases the risk of low birth weight, leading to life time of mental and physical ill health.
Rev Paul Nicolson
Taxpayers Against Poverty
• Following the legal precedent set in 2014 by the Cheshire West case, the number of deprivation of liberty orders has increased exponentially from care homes (Care home residents deprived of liberty in record numbers, 29 September). Care home managers do not take this decision lightly; it is bureaucratic, time consuming and distressing. By applying for DoLs, one is applying to do what is deemed to be in the person’s best interest. Safeguarding is complicated, but of paramount importance.
As a sector, we look forward to the government clarifying the situation later this year when the Law Commission reports on DoLs, but in the meantime it is misplaced to criticise care homes for following the law to the letter.
Professor Martin Green
Chief executive, Care England
• Join the debate – email guardian.letters@theguardian.com
We need a joined-up approach to mental illness | Letters
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