INFORMATION RESOURCES ON MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING
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National policy context
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Choosing Health/Delivering Choosing Health
Mental health is a priority issue in the public health White Paper Choosing Health. The importance of mental health, emotional well being and quality of life is both explicit and implicit in a wide range of policy on health, education, culture, employment, crime, regeneration and social inclusion. The Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets of many government departments require action to improve mental health and well-being. For example PSA target 7 for the Department of Health:
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Improve life outcomes of adults and children with mental health problems through year on year improvements in access to crisis and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, and reduce the mortality rate from suicide and undetermined injury by at least 20% by 2010. |
Choosing Health covers a range of mental health issues including work place stress, the mental health of children, older people and black and ethnic minorities.
The Delivering Choosing Health delivery plan highlights how the Department of Health and the NHS, within the framework of government policies, will help more people make more healthy choices and reduce health inequalities. It outlines the priorities for delivery at national, regional and local levels and what will be done by whom and when. It brings into one place all of the actions on the White Paper commitments, alongside related Public Service Agreements and local targets to improve health. It describes how Government will drive forward delivery through:
- Government targets to improve health;
- New partnerships between industry, the voluntary sector and professional groups;
- New services delivered by local authorities and the NHS.
National Service Framework (NSF) for Mental Health
The Mental Health National Service Framework was published in September 1999 and addresses the mental health needs of working age adults up to 65. It sets out national standards; national service models; local action and national underpinning programmes for implementation; and a series of national milestones to assure progress, with performance indicators to support effective performance management. An organisational framework for providing integrated services and for commissioning services across the spectrum is also included.
Every Child Matters
The Every Child Matters is a cross government strategy for ensuring that all children are healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being.
The document is primarily for health organisations, but also their partners, and is relevant to those who commission, provide or manage services for children, young people and/or pregnant women. It performs two functions: it sets out the health agenda for children and details the support that Government will provide for implementation of the National Service Framework for Children, Young People and Maternity Services.
Of particular relevance to mental health and well-being are sections relating to the implementation of Children's NSF Standard One (Promoting health and well-being) and Standard Nine (Mental health and psychological well-being).
Healthy Schools Standard (Emotional Health and Well-being Theme)
The National Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP) provides national quality standards for local ‘healthy schools'. The standards were developed through a process of consultation (with practitioners and policy makers) and research. Emotional health and well-being is one of the four NHSP themes (the others being Personal, Social and Health Education, healthy eating and physical activity).
Schools must achieve criteria in emotional heath and well-being to gain national healthy school status. These criteria are given in detail in the report and include, for example:
- identifying vulnerable individuals and groups and establishing appropriate strategies to support them and their families;
- providing clear leadership to create and manage a positive environment which enhances emotional health and well-being in school;
- having a confidential pastoral support system in place for pupils and staff to access advice; and
- having a clear policy on bullying.
Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care
Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care (DRE) is an action plan for achieving equality and tackling discrimination in mental health services in England for all people of Black and minority ethnic status, including those of Irish or Mediterranean origin and east European migrants.
It draws on three key recent publications in particular:
- Inside Outside: Improving Mental Health Services for Black and Minority Ethnic Communities in England;
- Delivering Race Equality: A Framework for Action; and
- the independent inquiry into the death of David Bennett
DRE outlines how mental health services are required to fulfil their obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and reduce and eliminate inequalities in mental health service access, experience and outcome. It includes information for those planning, delivering and monitoring primary care services. Key objectives of special relevance to mental health promotion include:
- a more balanced range of effective therapies;
- more appropriate and responsive services, community engagement, better information.
National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England (Department of Health)
This strategy, published in September 2002, aims to support the ‘Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation’ target of reducing the death rate from suicide by at least 20% by 2010. The strategy seeks to be comprehensive, evidence-based, specific and subject to evaluation.
The strategy has six goals (each with a set of specific actions and objectives):
- to reduce risk in key high risk groups
- to promote mental well-being in the wider population
- to reduce the availability and lethality of suicide methods
- to improve the reporting of suicidal behaviour in the media
- to promote research on suicide and suicide prevention
- to improve monitoring of progress towards the ‘Saving Lives: Our Healthier Nation’ target
NSF Standard 9 – The mental health and psychological well-being of children and young people (Department of Health)
Published in September 2004, the Children’s NSF is a 10-year programme intended to stimulate long-term and sustained improvement in children’s health. Setting standards for health and social services for children, young people and pregnant women, the NSF aims to ensure fair, high quality and integrated health and social care from pregnancy, right through to adulthood.
Standard 9 addresses the mental health needs of children and young people. It states that “All children and young people, from birth to their eighteenth birthday, who have mental health problems and disorders have access to timely, integrated, high quality, multi-disciplinary mental health services to ensure effective services to ensure effective assessment, treatment and support, for them and their families”.’
The vision is:
- An improvement in the mental health of all children and young people
- That multi-agency services, working in partnership, promote the mental health of all children and young people, provide early intervention and also meet the needs of children and young people with established or complex problems
- That all children, young people and their families have access to mental health care based upon the best available evidence and provided by staff with an appropriate range of skills and competencies
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