Warning of failure to meet mental health needs
Press release from The Communications Co-Operative
The North East is sitting on a mental health time bomb, says charity Mental Health North East.
They warn that the consequences of failing to meet these mental health needs could be dire for residents of the North East.
MHNE Chief Executive Lyn Boyd said: “One of the forgotten impacts of recession is a rise in the number of people with mental health problems.
“Cutbacks in health and social care, benefits and welfare reforms are having a hugely negative impact on the mental health of so many vulnerable people. Then, just when they need help most, mental health services are also under threat.
“Public donations to mental health charities are low in comparison to other causes, so groups and charities are more reliant on dwindling public funds. Charities doing vital work are already dipping into reserves this year in order to keep going, but will not be able to do this in the long term,” Lyn added.
But as recession and public sector cuts further deepen, the situation will worsen. Here in the North East there is already greater competition for job vacancies than anywhere outside of London. Added to this are a number of key factors that make the mental health situation in the North East so serious, compared to the rest of England, including:
- Higher rates of hospital admission for depression.
- High death rates from suicide.
- High levels of household expenditure on gambling repayments and higher consumption of alcohol.
- Highest percentage of adults with a life-limiting long term illness.
Lyn said: “We need local authorities and the government to see how serious the situation is. We need them to recognize that more and more people in the north east will experience mental health problems. We need them to provide funding to the right organisations to give people the support they need.”
Mental Health North East launched their new-look website on Monday 10 October. Featuring easier navigation and lots of new features, the website is a valuable resource for both groups and individuals. Find out more at www.mhne.co.uk
Case study
Bob (52) from North Tyneside has recently heard his cancer has returned. It has hit him hard.
Bob, who is also Bipolar, had to leave his job as a mental health nurse when he was first diagnosed with cancer two years ago. The depression caused by his cancer diagnosis left him unable to work.
Although Bob is still receiving cancer treatment, he wants to work and contribute to society. Money is tight and a big worry. As well as paying the bills he thinks working would help him build his self-esteem.
“I feel like if I admit I have a mental health problem to potential employers it means I will not even get an interview. They don’t see the person, they see the diagnosis,” Bob said.
“There’s real ignorance of mental health issues; people’s ideas are coloured by sensational stories in the press when someone with a mental health diagnosis commits a violent crime.”
Bob has now worked voluntarily at Mental Health North East for three months. Although his work is unpaid he says he feels valued and more confident. But he is not hopeful for his future job prospects:
“I am not confident for the future given the current economic situation. I would like to see greater awareness of mental health issues and for people to be viewed in their own right, not judged by their diagnosis,” Bob added.
