March 4th 2024
Charities urge politicians to commit to building a mentally healthier nation
A coalition of more than 60 charities has called on political parties to make a major commitment to mental health ahead of the forthcoming general election.
National charities including Centre for Mental Health, Mind, the NSPCC and Marie Curie published Manifesto for a mentally healthier nation, which sets out key actions political parties can commit to.
The manifesto urges all political parties to commit to tackling poverty and racial injustice, reforming the benefits and justice systems, and further investing in better and more equitable mental health services.
The charities’ call for action comes as rates of poor mental health in the UK continue to rise, driven by years of austerity, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis. With sickness absence from work at a 13-year high, and a sharp rise in mental ill health among teenagers, the manifesto says a cross-government ten-year plan is needed to address the scale of the issue.
The manifesto says that investing in better mental health can make a big difference, but warns the crisis will deepen if politicians fail to prioritise mental health, with disastrous implications for already-stretched health and social care services, as well as the economy and wider society.
The manifesto says that ending child poverty and improving housing are critical to building a mentally healthier nation. It calls on all political parties to commit to combat racial injustice and create a fairer benefits system, and backs further investment in mental health services, introducing clinically backed waiting time standards, modernising the Mental Health Act, and expanding mental health support to all schools.
The coalition of charities called for all political parties to include actions from the report within their election manifestoes, and deliver them in the next Parliament.
Andy Bell, chief executive at the Centre for Mental Health, said: ‘Mental health matters to all of us. The actions we have set out in A Mentally Healthier Nation will improve quality of life in communities across the country. We call on all political parties to commit to policies that will create better mental health, backed up by resources to continue to expand and reform mental health services.’
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