World Mental Health Day

Today is the 20th annual World Mental Health Day and it is no accident that the theme is "Depression: A Global Crisis."

Again this acts as a stark reminder that Mental Health is not an issue we can hope to wish away simply because it remains an invisible blight; locked away in the minds of millions suffering from mental ill health. It is also a timely reminder that a divided society and broken economy has an ever increasing destructive impact on the quality of all our lives – old and young, rich and poor and a diverse number of ethnic and social backgrounds.

‘According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, in all communities, and is a significant contributor to the global burden of disease. Although there are known effective treatments for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries and in some countries fewer than 10% of those who need it receive such treatment.’

The point of Mental Health Day is that it is designed to raise public awareness about mental health issues across the globe. The day is about promoting an open discussion/debate about mental disorders, improvements in prevention, promotion and treatment in mental health services.

‘UK insurance firm Aviva has found from its Health of the Workplace 2012 report, published on Monday, that while employees are generally feeling less stigma in the workplace, a third  still feel that mental health remains a 'taboo' subject that is seldom talked about. Over half of employees think that physical illness will always carry less stigma than mental health.’

‘The report also found that of those who feel stigma has decreased, around half (48%) of employees attribute this to a better understanding of mental health among peers and colleagues. Over a third of employees say that TV and press campaigns, such as Mind's 'Time to Change' campaign, have helped remove the stigma associated with mental health problems.’

That does not mean that the stigma of mental health has gone away – it still causes pain, isolation, loneliness and fear – for those who suffer from it and their immediate family. Over a quarter of people believe that celebrities talking openly about their mental health has created an increasing awareness and understanding of the problem, while under a quarter of employees believe that the Government's mental health strategy has helped. But has it. It would seem that when government pulls out funding for mental health services in the NHS, charities, counselling agencies, GP funding for mental health and IAPT (improving access to psychological therapies)

Dr Wright, medical director for Aviva, UK Health, said: ‘Mental health is high on the agenda for both employees and employers in the UK. Employers have a vital role in helping to support those who are suffering from depression, anxiety or other psychiatric conditions.’

Kevin Friery, clinical director of workplace wellness at UK recruitment firm, Right Management, said: ‘The relationship between mental health and work has come into the spotlight of late for a number of reasons. Not only are businesses beginning to gain a better understanding of the positive benefits of engaging in employee wellness but Government is moving more firmly to promote a shift from welfare to work, and this inevitably means more people who may have been absent from work because of mental ill-health will be encouraged to re-enter the workplace’.

Ultimately this means that the government is determined to measure the costs-benefits ratio before funding any mental health services that it regards as beneficial. Again, government ministers allow themselves to be swayed by consultation with powerful lobby groups, NICE, business leaders and mental health charities, including the people investing so much research in the ‘quick-fix’ cure, lauded by CBT mental health professionals. Surely, the standard has to be – does it work. Not does it have verifiable research carried out by organisations with vested interests in winning tax payers money for their services. And if it does work; who should decide. Well surely it must be the patient, or the client seeking therapy. This is why I believe we must use more self-report surveys with individual counsellors from all backgrounds, therapies and theories on a national register who get paid by results, judged on the basis of patient/client feedback, not the best most popular representations and research carried out by organisations with vested interests, winning government contracts.