Britain’s mental health

sir – The president of the Royal

College of Psychiatrists (Letters, March 22) denies there is a culture of using

GPs to get a fit note that can then serve as a “get out of work free” card.

Before I retired as a GP, a young woman who wanted extra time in exams instituted a demanding General Medical Council investigation because I did not immediately grant her request or give her medication for anxiety. Honest doctors who try to support the vulnerable by keeping them in work fail under the pressure of the Blob.

The reality at the front line is that the establishment has created a market for the drug and talking industries, often at the expense of young lives. It is refreshing to hear Mel Stride, the Work and Pensions Secretary, speaking the uncomfortable truth (“Mental health culture has gone too far, says Stride”, report, March 22).

Dr Andy Ashworth MRCGP

Bo’ness, West Lothian

sir – Mel Stride is right to draw attention to the alarming numbers of people out of work because of mental ill health, but his comments show a deep lack of consideration for the complex set of pressures many people find themselves living under. Moreover, research has shown that, while work is good for mental health, bad work can be catastrophic. Effectively forcing people to take

work by reducing their benefits is not the answer. This would be likely only to exacerbate distress and mental health problems. What is needed is a more adequately resourced package of support for those out of work, with the recognition that many are employed and have jobs awaiting their return.

Moreover, Mr Stride’s suggestion that “mental health culture has gone too far” is not rooted in evidence. The rhetoric of taking personal responsibility ignores the valid experiences of many people struggling with their mental health and unable to access support, often until it is too late. We need to go down river and provide help through more accessible psychological therapies.

We also need the Government to do more to incentivise good work, and invest in initiatives that help get people into work and businesses back on their feet during these difficult times. Simply removing the safety net for the most vulnerable will not achieve that aim.

Kris Amber

Workforce lead, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Lutterworth, Leicestershire

sir – I trace the present mental health culture back to when, some years ago, I read that schoolchildren were being asked to rate their happiness level on a scale of one to 10. Why?

I have never felt the need to ask myself how happy I am. Like most people, I have just got on with life – the good and the bad.

If we are encouraged to look inward we can soon convince ourselves that all is not well. Barbara Smith Stafford