Help us be by the side of everyone who needs support
AFTER everything that we’ve been through, millions of us are still struggling. It’s been nearly two years since the pandemic started. That time has taken a brutal toll. So many of us are grieving. So many of us have lived a nightmare as frontline workers. For many of us living with mental health problems already, our symptoms have worsened – and some of us have experienced mental health problems for the first time. This is a crisis and it’s not going away.
Devastatingly, young people are among the hardest hit. Record numbers are seeking help. According to the NHS Confederation, 1.5 million children and young people may need new or more mental health support as a result of the pandemic.
In June alone, almost half a million were in contact with mental health services – the highest figure ever.
It’s not only our young people who have been affected. Adults, especially those struggling financially, are bearing the brunt. Mind’s own research reveals that two in three adults say their mental health has worsened since the first national lockdown.
WE KNOW problems with debt and poverty, housing and benefits and employment can all take their toll on our mental health. The £20 a week cut to Universal Credit will only make this worse – we’ve been campaigning for this to remain in place, and for it to be extended to those who receive support from older disability benefits too, who have had to cope without an uplift.
The mental health system is struggling to keep up: waiting lists are ballooning in England with 1.6 million people in extreme mental health need facing even longer waits for treatment, often becoming more unwell in the meantime. People have been turned away from services altogether, with eight million of us being told we are “not ill enough” to access the support we need.
The UK’s mental health emergency has resulted in a huge surge in demand for Mind’s services and support over the past 18 months. Enquiries to our Infoline have rocketed. In 2020, we saw an average of 6,083 enquiries per month, rising to an average of 7,234 enquiries per month in 2021.
Earlier this year, the UK government earmarked additional cash for mental health. While welcome, it was nowhere near enough to tackle the crisis.
And last week’s Spending Review was a major missed opportunity to support children and adults that are currently missing out.
We need to tackle decades of underfunding which left mental health services creaking under the pressure.Without significant investment, I am desperately worried about how the nation will address the mental health crisis.
We’ve been urging the UK government to “Fund the Hubs” – a network of places for young people to go when they first start to struggle with their mental health.
To make sure they get the support they need, when they need it, and not when they are at breaking point. We estimate that we need to see around £480million per year for the next three years to tackle this urgent need.
We’re also calling for a crossgovernment strategy to improve mental health support across the board – to prevent many people developing mental health problems, as well as giving them the right support – when they need it.
It must also consider the major things that can affect somebody’s mental health, such as inadequate and unsafe housing, unemployment, low paid work and problems accessing benefits.
As we face into this mental health crisis, we know there is much to do. But we also know there is so much we can do. Right now.
THAT’S why it’s so timely to be involved in By Your Side – our partnership with the Express to raise much-needed awareness and funds for mental health in the run-up to Christmas.
We know the festive season can be a difficult and expensive time of year, and we are so grateful for any donations – large or small.
We want to be there for everyone who needs us, whether that is accessing information from our website, support from our confidential Infoline or peer support through our online moderated network, Side by Side.
Thank you so much for your support at this critical time. The spotlight on mental health has never been more needed as we tackle this mental health emergency.
‘As we face this mental health crisis..there is so much we can do’