It’s officially autumn, and we are into the busiest season of the year for most mental health organisations. October is particularly interesting with World Mental Health Day on the 10th, as every there will be so much going on! This year we’ve chosen to use the hashtag #MentalHealthEveryDay – because we know that living with mental illness is an everyday issue. Whilst it’s important to draw the nation’s eye to the issue, we want to honour those who wake up on the 11th October feeling the same way.
Below you can see our latest reports including Life After Loss, which outlines the economic benefits of counselling for women and their families who have experienced baby loss. The report was accompanied by an extraordinary blog written by Alyx from Petals. Join our call on Government to invest the £3.17 million a year which would provide counselling for those who need it.
I would love to hear from you about what you think we should be working on – are there areas you think we should be focusing on that we aren’t already? I’m all ears!
Take care,
Sarah
Life after loss An economic evaluation of specialist counselling after baby loss
There can be few more tragic and distressing circumstances to face in life than the loss of a baby. Life after loss is an economic evaluation of the baby loss charity Petals, which provides counselling to women who have experienced the death of a baby and their partners. The evaluation calculates that national provision of counselling to 4,822 mothers would cost £3.17m per annum, which would create a national safety-net of support to help parents at this immensely difficult time.
A new approach to complex needs Primary Care Psychological Medicine - first year evaluation
Could the NHS better support people with persistent physical symptoms of illness in primary care? This report highlights how a psychological service working in GP surgeries in Nottingham is improving the health of people with unexplained, persistent physical symptoms of illness. The service has also saved more money than its staffing costs in its first year. After one year of full-scale delivery, the programme shows great potential to not only reduce health care costs, but also – much more importantly – improve the health of the people it treats.
Social care funding and mental health A policy briefing
In this policy briefing, we explore what a fair and sustainable funding settlement for social care should look like to deliver parity of esteem for mental health and sufficient funding to support people of working age as well as those in later life. It finds that mental health social work has a vital role in helping people to live independently and to secure their rights and dignity.
Sarah's message for World Mental Health Day:
"We are in solidarity with people in pain today, and people who will wake up tomorrow still in pain...Every single day of the year, the Centre is working incredibly hard for equality in mental health. That won't stop until we see it happen"
Writer-in-residence
We're delighted to have published two new pieces by our writer-in-residence, Mark Brown. There is no new normal argues that whatever one’s views about Brexit and the likely effects, it will have a profound impact on the nation’s mental health (and mental health services) and the lives of people with mental health difficulties. Mark also highlights that seeing mental health as marginal to the Brexit debate has added to the risk of harm in both the long and short term.
In There's no place like home, Mark looks at the significant but rarely-discussed relationship between housing and mental health. Through sharing the stories of people with first-hand experience, he highlights the way mental health difficulty can lead to insecure housing with poor living conditions and higher rents.
Remembering the 1 in 4 Ben Russell reflects on the way shared experiences of mental ill-health unite us, and highlights the stigma which still surrounds serious mental illness.
IPS Training Employment and Equality Law for Employment Specialists
Do you support people with mental health issues into competitive, paid employment and want to know more about Employment and Equality Law? Our course aimed at Employment Specialists is running this November.
