Responding to the Health Secretary’s comments about overdiagnosis of mental health problems, Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: “Evidence shows a very real increase in the number of people struggling with their mental health in the UK over the last decade. Well over a million people in England are waiting for a mental health service. Without the right support, people with mental health difficulties are more likely to struggle at school, less able to thrive at work, and at greater risk of severe financial problems.
“The suggestion that too many people are being diagnosed with mental health problems risks denying people’s very real suffering and diverting resources away from essential services. In many places, thresholds for access to mental health services have gone up in response to rising demand, which means more people are made to wait until they are at crisis point.
“It’s imperative that debates and policy decisions about mental health and social security are founded on robust evidence rather than speculation. The social security green paper is an opportunity to do that: to begin much-needed reform to our benefits system so that it provides people with an essential financial safety net to live with dignity and independence.
“The Government has taken some positive steps, for example in the Connect to Work programme, to help more people with health conditions into employment. But this could be undermined if it is accompanied by reduced eligibility for disability benefits and harsher rules for those who are out of work. That will simply create more mental distress and even greater pressure on the NHS.
“We urge the Government to base its policies on the best available evidence. To recognise that rising levels of mental distress and mental ill health are real and require a compassionate response. To reform our social security system in ways that will boost health and wellbeing, and deliver the right support into employment. And to invest in mental health services that can meet people’s needs quickly and effectively.
