Today is world mental health day 2019 where many of us are wearing yellow and posting messages to social media and raising awareness but how much has really changed since last year?
From a personal point of view, nothing has changed apart from the fact this time last year I was misdiagnosed with BPD by a junior Psychiatrist at Bolitho House in Penzance.
At least I was offered a CPN for a few sessions to revisit my CAT therapy, but no treatments since moving to the other end of the county.
I’ve had one session with a psychiatrist who thinks I have Bipolar 2 and not BPD and a letter from them saying I’ve refused help because of this which is lies.
I’ve phoned the mental health team at Trevillis House in Liskeard several times but I’ve heard nothing!
So since the last world mental health day, my treatment is worse.
Prince Harry and Ed Sheeran can put out as many videos as they want but for one day only.
Once a year is not enough, and wearing yellow for one day a year isn’t going to fix the millions of people who suffer from mental health.
Just like cancer and heart charities, more money and resources need to be pulled into mental health and more treatments need to be explored.
As a nation, we appear to be going round in circles year after year with the same old talk and treatments.
NHS England has promised mental health checks and treatment for the partners of pregnant women and new mothers who are themselves suffering from anxiety, depression, or psychosis.
Over the past few years, there has been a lot more media coverage on men suffering from depression.
I’ts estimated that 10% of new fathers experience anxiety or depression during the first six months after the birth of a baby.
Individuals who are ‘seriously unwell’ will be offered a range of interventions such as ‘peer-support, behavioral couples therapy sessions.
Other family and parenting interventions in specialist community perinatal mental health settings or referred to a leading psychological talking therapy programme’.
There has also been a lot of coverage on Children and mental health, especially here in Cornwall where they have recently opened a new Children’s mental health ward.
The Government has also confirmed plans to improve mental health support in schools and colleges.
This will be available from the new mental health support teams in 25 areas, starting with training for teams at seven universities across the UK and trailblazer sites serving 20% – 25% of England by 2023/24.
Each area will have one team providing support to up to 8,000 children and young people in 20 or so schools and colleges.
This will build on existing services, including what is available in the voluntary and education sectors, to support children and young people who have mild to moderate mental health issues and help those with more severe needs to access the right support and care.
Funding for senior mental health leads will come from the Department for Education.
NHS long term plans
The NHS Long Term Plan includes a strategy for supporting children and adults with autism from this month.
They will collect evidence from autistic children and adults, families, carers, and professionals on how to improve services and support, covering how to coordinate services for health, social care, and education; providing an earlier diagnosis; improving the transition to adult services; and increasing understanding of the different forms of autism.