Time to end stigma and talk about mental health
David Thomson warns that problems can strike in all sections of society and more support is needed
Recently, the mental health issues of a number of high profile people have made headlines.
Prince William spoke yesterday of his personal struggle to come to terms with the death of his mother, the Princess of Wales. It followed recent comments made by his brother, Prince Harry, who discussed his experience of mental health problems.
Earlier this month, Everton and England footballer Aaron Lennon was held under the Mental Health Act amid concerns over his welfare due to a “stress-related illness”. Concern and support for him was widespread and prompted former players Ryan Giggs and Jamie Carragher to speak of struggling with the psychological demands of football.
Former England striker Andy Johnston tweeted in support of his colleague by saying that it’s time to end the stigma and talk about mental health.
Research from the Mental Health Foundation shows that one in six adults (15 per cent) in Scotland have reported some kind of mental health problems for the four years up to 2015. Depression and anxiety were the most common.
As highlighted during the recent Mental Health Awareness Week, nearly three-quarters of people across the UK earning less than £1,200 per month have experienced some mental health problems in their lifetime. That’s compared to just under two-thirds of those high earning individuals, who make more than £3,700 per month.
The Mental Health Foundation’s Surviving or Thriving report also showed that 85 per cent of unemployed people report a mental health problem compared to 66 per cent in paid employment
Low income puts enormous strain on people struggling to not only pay their mortgage or rent but also meet electricity bills, fuel and telephone bills and be able to provide for their families.
According to the Scottish Government’s Homelessness in Scotland annual report, a fifth of people who become homeless cite mental health as the reason for finding themselves without any secure accommodation. More than 3500 people with mental health problems became homeless last year, compared to just over 3,000 in 2007.
This has to be seen against a massive drop in the number of individuals who have claimed to be homeless over the past ten years: from 30,000 in 2007 to 18,500 last year.
The Scottish Government’s ten yearmentalhealth strategy was announced in March and, among other proposals, suggests increasing the mental health workforce in A&E, GP practices, police stations and prisons. It concedes that the challenge is “considerable”: only one in three people who would benefit from treatment currently get it.
It is right that mental health problems are more widely discussed. Perhaps it will encourage those who are poorest in society to talk about it before it becomes too late – and they find themselves adding ‘homeless’ to their worries. ● David Thomson is a freelance journalist based in Gourock.