Mental health targets could save lives

COLCHESTER, U.K. - Oct. 10, 2014 - PRLog -- And the independent sector organisation, which offers a range of mental health as well as healthcare and social care services, believes the move could save lives.

Care UK has been lobbying for swifter access to mental health services as a member of the Independent Mental Health Services Alliance (http://www.imhsa.org.uk/) and sees this week’s announcement as a significant stride forward.

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Glasgow Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that from April 2015, for the first time, people with depression should begin talking therapy treatments within a target of 18 weeks.  He added that young people with psychosis will be seen within 14 days – the same as cancer patients.

Steve Reader, Care UK’s director of recovery services said: “This move could save lives and for some people it cannot come soon enough.

“We have long believed that there should be parity of esteem, meaning that people with serious mental health conditions should be given the same priority as people with serious physical conditions such as cancer.

“However, traditionally, whereas someone with cancer will be seen within two weeks it can be months before someone with a severe mental health condition receives the care they need in which time, tragically, they may have committed suicide.

“By giving people access to the care they need more quickly, people with mental health conditions such as psychosis can avoid developing long term issues.

“Unfortunately to date, people who have needed immediate help, for example access to talking therapies like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), have had to wait months. For a young person suffering the symptoms of a mental illness for the first time they need a diagnosis and help as soon as possible because it can be a terrifying and debilitating experience. The more rapidly they are treated the better it is for them, their families and friends. Swift treatment can improve the chances of them returning to education or work and enable them to go back to being an active participant in their communities. It is also good for the economy because it saves millions of pounds worth of in-patient admissions, therapies and pharmaceuticals.

“For many young people beginning treatment cannot come soon enough. Cancer patients are fast tracked to the care they need yet people with mental health issues only get instant attention if they are in crisis – yet mental illness can prove equally fatal as it can lead to people taking their own lives.

“There is absolutely no doubt that timely and effective care can transform lives by helping people with psychosis avoid compulsory treatment. It can also significantly reduce the risk of suicide.”