Mental health campaigners have offered cautious support to a government plan intended to improve mental health services.
Cuts to services have let to what has been described as “dangerously high” bed occupancy rates and waiting times.
Meanwhile, there have also been major problems in the sector with staff retention.
And the Royal College of Nursing has been critical of government proposals, asserting that they appeared “not to add up”.
But the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced... Readmore
A survey of NHS trusts suggests that mental health services are close to being completely overrun.
This is due to escalated demand and a reduction in the level of staffing.
NHS Providers contacted organisations throughout the healthcare system, and found that around 70% of mental health leaders believe that demand will increase still further in the coming 12 months.
Yet only 35% were confident that they would be enough staff available in order to deliver an adequate level of service.
Responding... Readmore
Mental health campaigners have urged an immediate review into the failure of young people in Scotland to be offered specialist treatment for mental health issues.
This is extremely concerning, particularly as young people are a very high risk group for suicide.
Yet despite this fact, over 7,000 children and adolescents were rejected for mental health referrals during the last 12 months.
The Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) described the figure as "astonishing".
Responding... Readmore
A new report suggests that there is a massive gulf between the level of mental health provision and public demand in Northern Ireland.
Mental Health Rights Campaign, which conducted the research, found that general practice is falling short of the standards of care that are expected.
The group is intimately involved in mental health care in Northern Ireland, being comprised of those affected by mental health issues, along with carers and families bereaved from suicide.
Mental Health Rights... Readmore
Theresa May has indicated the intention of the Conservative party to recruit 10,000 extra NHS staff to work within the mental health service sector.
However, despite this bold plan, the PM has yet to indicate how this boost to mental health will be funded.
In what represents her first spending announcement of the general election campaign, the PM also indicated her intention to overhaul the thirty four year-old Mental Health Act, with the intention of tackling discrimination and overuse of detention.
There... Readmore
Research suggests that mindfulness therapy is just as effective as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for treating conditions such as depression, anxiety and stress.
Furthermore, the treatment can be offered at a preferential rate in comparison to CBT.
This is according to a Swedish study, which found that group mindfulness therapy has an equally positive effect as individual CBT, while being available at a mere fraction of the cost.
Researchers from Lund University believe that group-based... Readmore
Approximately 10% of people leaving hospital following mental health care treatment are not receiving any visitations or follow-up phone calls in the seven days after leaving.
These worrying figures have been compiled by the mental health charity Mind, based on Freedom of Information requests.
Around 11,000 people annually receive no NHS check-ups after leaving hospitals or specialist facilities within the healthcare system, and experts believe that this puts them at a greater risk of suicide.
Sophie... Readmore
Seven areas across England are set to pilot digital services for mental health patients, which will include innovative apps to improve care and online access to real-time patient records.
NHS England has announced new funding for seven mental health trusts to enable these organisations to pioneer world-class, digital services to improve care for patients experiencing mental health issues.
This will include, for the first time, all key professionals involved in a patient’s care having access... Readmore
NICE leaders have suggested that GPs should review the mental health of those with learning disabilities during their annual health checkups.
This new quality standard introduced by NICE is intended to ensure that the NHS standardises guidance.
And the Healthcare authority recommends that GPs working within the NHS system should “conduct annual health checks in their patients with learning disabilities that include reviews of mental health problems”.
The new standard also requires clinical... Readmore
Official figures indicate that there has been a significant escalation in the number of patients arriving at Accident and Emergency departments in England with mental health difficulties.
Experts believe that a lack of early support for such individuals means that the level of patients within the healthcare system suffering from mental health problems has reached a crisis level.
Data compiled by NHS Digital indicated that between 2011-12 and 2015-16 the number of patients attending A&E... Readmore
A survey of psychiatrists has suggested that NHS services are failing the soaring numbers of children who have had a breakdown, self-harmed or attempted to commit suicide.
72% of consultant psychiatrists who specialise in treating children and adolescents say that NHS care for under-18s experiencing a crisis in their mental health is either inadequate (58%) or very inadequate (14%).
And only 9% of those who responded concluded that these services are currently good.
253 of the UK’s 750 consultant... Readmore
The NHS is set to overhaul services for women who develop mental health problems around childbirth.
This initiative is intended to help reduce the suffering caused by postnatal depression and reduce the number of new mothers who kill either themselves or their baby.
NHS England has indicated its decision to invest £40 million into new specialist treatment centres for the 20% of women whose pregnancy, birth or experience afterwards triggers serious psychological problems.
Anxiety, depression... Readmore
