Tackling mental health disparities, Centre for Mental Health

The Covid-19 pandemic is being accompanied by a sharp rise in demand for mental health services – referrals to children ' s mental health services rose 134% from 2019/20 to 2020/21, and emergency crisis care presentations are up 80% (Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2021). Even before the pandemic, mental ill health was one of the most prevalent forms of illness (ONS, 2017) with one in six people experiencing diagnosable symptoms at any time, at a cost of over £ 119 billion in England alone (Centre for Mental Health, 2020). Mental health inequalities mean that while it is true that anyone can experience mental ill health, the risks are much higher for certain groups who experience structural discrimination and disadvantage. And people living with mental health difficulties face a much higher risk of poor physical health, too. These inequalities, inequities and disparities are the result of economic and social factors that put some people and communities at a dramatically higher risk of poor mental health. This means they are amenable to action. The disparities white paper is a great opportunity for the Government to tackle the causes of inequalities and inequities that contribute to a large proportion of the annual cost of mental ill health. This briefing paper sets out ten actions the Government could take in the white paper that would help to reduce mental health disparities.
Source: Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH) - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news