Improving Access to Psychological Therapies

10/10/07 Update:

Secretary of Health Alan Johnson today announced a £170 million a year investment in psychological therapies to provide better support for people with mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.

Building on the success of the two demonstration projects in Doncaster and Newham, the Government will next year roll out psychological therapies to twenty new areas before increasing services to cover the whole country over the next few years.

The announcement is a huge boost for people all over the country. Health Link is working with the Department of Health to promote improving access to psychological therapies and completely supports the work being done to extend the benefits of psychological therapies to all those who need them.

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‘Mental well-being is one of the great challenges facing a modern society. We know that mental health problems have a serious impact on both families and our economy’. Ivan Lewis MP, Minister for Health.

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According to the latest figures, a staggering six million adults in the UK are currently suffering with mental health problems. This means that at any one time, one in six adults experiences a mental health problem - more than will suffer from cancer or heart disease - and many of these suffer from more common problems such as anxiety or depression.

One in every four visits to a family doctor relates to a mental health problem. Mental health problems cost the country the equivalent of 2% of GDP per year. The costs of depression alone are enormous. In the UK, the cost of days lost at work amounts to £23 billion a year. More people receive incapacity benefits due to mental illness than receive unemployment benefit.

However, only a quarter of those suffering mental ill health are accessing treatment of any kind. One family in three is affected. It is time to find new ways to improve the lives of those suffering and their families and to reduce the burden across society as a whole.

There is a growing consensus amongst mental health researchers, campaigners, front line workers and policy makers that in the case of depression and anxiety, psychological therapies are preferable to drug treatments on first contact with services.

Elizabeth Manero, from Health link, said:

“We must tackle mental illness. Many of us know someone suffering anxiety or depression and more people commit suicide every year than die in road traffic accidents. We must be able to provide people with a mental health problem with the right kind of therapy, at the right time. Talking Therapies can help young people perform better at school, keep people of working age in work and off benefits, and help improve the mental well-being of people of all ages and cultural backgrounds. This will eventually lead to fewer visits to the GP and fewer hospital admissions. Investing in Talking Therapies will reduce costs to the NHS and help tackle all that suffering.”

Research proves that these therapies do work. Someone who has recovered from depression by accessing a psychological therapy, for example, is less likely to have a relapse than someone who is simply given medication.

Ann Bowling suffered from mental ill problems for over 20 years. She turned to NHS psychological therapy. She said:

"Psychological therapy has made a huge difference to my life and basically helped me to keep functioning. It is about helping yourself to recognise and challenge negative thoughts. It has now become part of my every day existence and has helped me to get an entirely new, far more positive outlook on life. Before this treatment I could not even get out of bed in the morning; after, I could stand up in front of hundreds of people at an NHS conference and tell my story. I’m in control now."

As a result of the success of talking therapies Ann has been able to become a key member of the implementation group for a successful pilot scheme in Doncaster that is funded by the Department of Health to increase access to talking therapies.

Following the success of this, and a separate pilot in Newham, the Department of Health has now announced eleven new areas round the country where it is funding schemes to promote increased access to psychological therapies as well as a major national drive to encourage local Primary Care Trusts to invest in these services – kick-starting a revolution in mental health care that will start to make society better.


For further information on this project please contact Tom Hall on 020 7254 1582 or tom@health-link.org.uk