Mental health patients in county are being treated with self-help books

PEOPLE with mental illnesses are effectively being told to “look after themselves”, experts warned, after it emerged more than 1,000 patients in Leicestershire were treated with self-help books last year.

The news came after the NHS published figures that, for the first time, revealed how many people are being treated with self-help books for illnesses like depression and anxiety.

At least 695 people in Leicestershire were treated with a “guided” self-help book - meaning they went through the book with the assistance of a counsellor.

A further 570 people in Leicestershire were treated with a “non-guided” self-help book.

The figures are rounded to the nearest five to protect identities, meaning the actual numbers might be very slightly higher or lower.

Dr Tony O’Sullivan, co-chair of pressure group Keep Our NHS Public, said: “Self-help books may be beneficial for some patients but they are no substitute for skilled, sensitive professional medical support, therapies and intervention.

“Under this government access to treatment in the NHS for mental ill health has deteriorated notably, and has seen significant real-terms cuts.

“There are not enough staff or resources to treat all patients adequately.

“The government and NHS England are promoting self-help books and other tools like them under the heading of ‘social prescribing’ amidst a crisis in staffing caused by a sustained funding squeeze.

“It is valid to look for therapeutic alternatives in addition to drugs. But the danger is a message ‘Look after yourself, because we aren’t going to’– targeting illness without drugs, partly as an alternative to a lack of NHS funding.”

Mental health funds have been slashed in recent years, with analysis from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP sych) finding that government spending in 2016/17 was lower than six years earlier, once inflation is taken into account.

But in the autumn 2018 budget, chancellor Philip Hammond announced a £2 billion real-terms funding boost for mental health support.

The budget statement said that the NHS will invest up to £250 million a year by 2023/24 into new crisis services.

The services include providing 24/7 support via NHS 111, having children and young people’s crisis teams in every part of the country, comprehensive mental health support in every major A&E by 2023/24, more mental health specialist ambulances, and more community services such as crisis Self-help books are offered as treatment under the NHS’s Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme.

The programme offers a range of treatments - including cognitive behavioural therapy and mindfulness - for people suffering from anxiety and depression.

These are classed as “low-intensity” therapies.

Across England there were 49,929 patients treated with guided-self help books in 2017/18.

A further 5,746 people were treated with non-guided self-help books.

Guided self-help is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence as a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.