Improvements for Mental Health Resources in UK

According to an article recently put out by The Guardian, mental health services in the United Kingdom are under-resourced.  During the appointment of the minister for suicide prevention, Jackie Doyle-Price, UK health secretary Matt Hancock opened up about the lack of resources and value placed in mental health services.  Hancock’s announcement is a devastating one but a sobering one, and Georgia should perhaps also look into this issue.  

With this revelation, the UK is working through a five-year plan to make efforts to build better mental health services.  Health minister Jackie Doyle-Price will be in charge of making sure that every locality has proper plans and strategies for suicide prevention.  In addition, technology will be utilized to analyze statistics and determine who is more at risk of committing this type of act.  As perhaps the world’s first ever minister for suicide prevention, Doyle-Price wants to put families who have lost loved ones from suicide at the forefront for making a difference.  She cares about those who have lost as she stated, “It’s these people who need to be at the heart of what we do and I welcome this opportunity to work closely with them, as well as experts, to oversee a cross-government suicide prevention plan, making their sure their views are always heard.”   

In addition, the UK is making other changes to build stronger mental health services.  For example, England’s prime minister plans to contribute 1.8 million pounds in order to keep the Samaritans’ help line free for the next four years.  Further, counsellor services are wanted at every level of school—secondary and primary.  

As mental health has not consistently not received as many sufficient resources or even discussion as physical health, officials like Hancock and Doyle-Price are hoping for real change and improvement in mental health services in the United Kingdom.  And as more people are made aware of the lack of attention placed on mental health, the UK is striving for change—and Georgia should also take such news into consideration for hopes of improvement here as well.  

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/oct/10/uk-appoints-its-first-minister-for-suicide-prevention?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_b-gdnnews&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1539155339

By Shirin Mahdavi