The nation’s mental health: A precious resource

Good mental health is vital for the health and wellbeing of our society and is as fundamental to good health and wellbeing as physical health.

That’s why Public Mental Health is one of our new ADPH priorities. It builds on our previous work on healthy places, developing environments, green spaces, community facilities, and workplaces that support good mental health, and on children and young people, in particular exploring and understanding childhood adversity, trauma, and resilience. It also links well with our ongoing work on the commercial determinants of health, which looks at how we can tackle the negative influence of powerful industries, such as alcohol and gambling, that can affect our mental health, and our other new priority of work and health.

One in four adults report a common mental health disorder, such as anxiety. These are often hidden, stigma is still widespread, and many people do not have access to the support services they need. Not only does it impact individuals and their families, but poor mental health costs the UK economy approximately £117.9 billion annually, with nearly three quarters of the cost being attributed to lost productivity related to mental health issues. In turn, challenging economic circumstances and poverty also contribute significantly to poor mental health, creating a very vicious cycle.

Soberingly, nearly half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and 27% of university students have a diagnosed mental health condition. Meanwhile nearly a quarter of older adults are experiencing depression, so it is crucial that we address mental health right through from childhood to older age.

Social determinants such as financial stability, housing, employment, and education are all significant factors in maintaining good public mental health, often interacting with each other with more deprived communities at greater risk for poor mental health. We therefore not only need to support individuals, but we also need to address the structural issues in society. In fact, with waiting lists for mental health treatment continuing to grow, action should be focussed on prevention and levelling the playing field so that we can create environments where everyone is able to thrive and build healthier lives. Only then will we be able to reduce the unacceptable gap in mental health outcomes currently being experienced across the UK.

Early intervention is vital and a recent report highlights the importance of addressing the priorities for preventing mental ill health in children and young people. By increasing resilience, we will decrease demand on services, and resilience can be built throughout childhood.

Community services and the voluntary sector also play an important part in promoting mental wellbeing in children and, in our position statement, we highlight the need for measures to be in place to promote parental mental wellbeing, particularly during pregnancy and early years, which can affect bonding and have a significant impact on children’s wellbeing.

However, to have a truly effective strategy to improve mental health, support must be implemented at all stages from maternity and early years, to schools and colleges, universities, the workplace and beyond. With the right building blocks in place, and support from properly resourced services, people are more likely to enjoy better mental health outcomes. Of course, to make that a reality, greater investment is needed in creating those building blocks, promoting good mental health, as well as in early identification and prompt intervention for those who need support now.

The nation’s mental health is a precious resource and securing better mental health is far more than what many consider “health” policy. We are therefore incredibly pleased to be turning our focus to this hugely important issue, and I look forward to providing further updates in the coming months about this new stream of work which ultimately, will help create a fairer and healthier future for us all.