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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| ‘Nick Clegg needs to turn words into action on mental health’ | ‘Nick Clegg needs to turn words into action on mental health’ |
| (14 days later) | |
| Since Adrian Strain’s son, Martin, 34, took his own life two months ago after he had severe depression, the retired teacher has campaigned to keep the mental health debate going. | Since Adrian Strain’s son, Martin, 34, took his own life two months ago after he had severe depression, the retired teacher has campaigned to keep the mental health debate going. |
| Martin, who was married and had a successful job in IT, had been off work and on antidepressants since April. In June, his GP referred him for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), but the earliest available appointment was 4 October. | Martin, who was married and had a successful job in IT, had been off work and on antidepressants since April. In June, his GP referred him for Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), but the earliest available appointment was 4 October. |
| Strain now devotes his time to researching “the silent killer” of mental illness, liaising with local mental health trusts in Leeds and South Yorkshire, and has joined his GP’s patient reference group, leading on mental health. | Strain now devotes his time to researching “the silent killer” of mental illness, liaising with local mental health trusts in Leeds and South Yorkshire, and has joined his GP’s patient reference group, leading on mental health. |
| “Since Martin’s death I’ve been doing a lot of research,” he said. “I’ve met the chief executives of the mental health trusts closest to me and both say in many cases with the most severe forms of depression, clients are accessing services within four weeks already. So this blanket aspirational target of 18 weeks is really very modest. | “Since Martin’s death I’ve been doing a lot of research,” he said. “I’ve met the chief executives of the mental health trusts closest to me and both say in many cases with the most severe forms of depression, clients are accessing services within four weeks already. So this blanket aspirational target of 18 weeks is really very modest. |
| “The main obstacle, in my view, to people accessing mental health services is, yes, the availability of CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy], but more importantly the clumsy way GPs handle it. Huge numbers of GPs, anecdotally at this stage, their knowledge of mental health is scant, and of mental health services offered through their own CCG [clinical commissioning group] and their own trusts. Therefore, pressed as they are, if those same GPs are not being proactive then the most severe cases, and I put Martin in this category, are never going to get access. It is more about outreach than targets.” | “The main obstacle, in my view, to people accessing mental health services is, yes, the availability of CBT [cognitive behavioural therapy], but more importantly the clumsy way GPs handle it. Huge numbers of GPs, anecdotally at this stage, their knowledge of mental health is scant, and of mental health services offered through their own CCG [clinical commissioning group] and their own trusts. Therefore, pressed as they are, if those same GPs are not being proactive then the most severe cases, and I put Martin in this category, are never going to get access. It is more about outreach than targets.” |
| Strain believes GPs referring cases to a community psychiatric nurse (CPN) is crucial. “The silent number of young men, even if they go to a GP, will look for the first opportunity not to suffer any more stigma and wait for more services, and they need outreach work. A CPN is not somebody skilled in delivering CBT, but somebody with enough experience to recognise somebody is in crisis. To stop young men dying you need to go and knock on their doors.” | Strain believes GPs referring cases to a community psychiatric nurse (CPN) is crucial. “The silent number of young men, even if they go to a GP, will look for the first opportunity not to suffer any more stigma and wait for more services, and they need outreach work. A CPN is not somebody skilled in delivering CBT, but somebody with enough experience to recognise somebody is in crisis. To stop young men dying you need to go and knock on their doors.” |
| Nevertheless, he welcomed Clegg’s focus. “Every time it is in the news we do a little bit to chip away at that stigma, which causes silence.” | Nevertheless, he welcomed Clegg’s focus. “Every time it is in the news we do a little bit to chip away at that stigma, which causes silence.” |
| Laura Sherlock, described her life after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2001 in detail in a Guardian interview in August. She thinks Clegg’s plans could be a breakthrough – with caveats. | Laura Sherlock, described her life after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 2001 in detail in a Guardian interview in August. She thinks Clegg’s plans could be a breakthrough – with caveats. |
| “This is very good news for the people of the UK. A politician is finally recognising the seriousness of our current neglect of mental health in the NHS and promising to address this neglect. It is a powerful and attractive declaration to make. | “This is very good news for the people of the UK. A politician is finally recognising the seriousness of our current neglect of mental health in the NHS and promising to address this neglect. It is a powerful and attractive declaration to make. |
| “It is important not to forget the issue of people with less severe forms of mental illness, such as mild depression or anxiety. They need their GPs to have more knowledge [they need training] about mental health issues so that the GPs can give initial support and care. Without such support, mild mental health problems can and often do get worse rapidly. Early intervention in psychosis can only be a fantastic thing. Psychosis is someone in mental crisis, a situation just as serious as a bad traumatic injury. It can lead to death. So the fact Nick Clegg is recognising this and proposing to change the NHS to deal with it is brilliant. | “It is important not to forget the issue of people with less severe forms of mental illness, such as mild depression or anxiety. They need their GPs to have more knowledge [they need training] about mental health issues so that the GPs can give initial support and care. Without such support, mild mental health problems can and often do get worse rapidly. Early intervention in psychosis can only be a fantastic thing. Psychosis is someone in mental crisis, a situation just as serious as a bad traumatic injury. It can lead to death. So the fact Nick Clegg is recognising this and proposing to change the NHS to deal with it is brilliant. |
| “Will the party keep the promises? Too often we hear good news about a policy that will improve people’s lives immensely and it fades and disappears, never coming to fruition. Hopefully, Nick Clegg’s decision to make this subject central in his party conference shows real commitment to keep his promises.” | “Will the party keep the promises? Too often we hear good news about a policy that will improve people’s lives immensely and it fades and disappears, never coming to fruition. Hopefully, Nick Clegg’s decision to make this subject central in his party conference shows real commitment to keep his promises.” |
| Steve Cowburn’s son, Ben, killed himself in an adult psychiatric unit at the age of 18 after having a severe mental illness for three months. | Steve Cowburn’s son, Ben, killed himself in an adult psychiatric unit at the age of 18 after having a severe mental illness for three months. |
| “It is a really good thing to start trying to treat mental health the same way as physical health, however two weeks is still too long a time in many cases. If someone turned up at hospital with a broken arm they would not be sent away for two weeks. You would be seen the same day and there is often the same urgency for mental illness. | “It is a really good thing to start trying to treat mental health the same way as physical health, however two weeks is still too long a time in many cases. If someone turned up at hospital with a broken arm they would not be sent away for two weeks. You would be seen the same day and there is often the same urgency for mental illness. |
| “What I would really like to see is the equivalent of an accident and emergency facility for those with mental illnesses, but I do applaud anything that starts to bring mental health in line with the way physical health is treated and the Lib Dems have been very good. Norman Lamb has been very supportive of our campaign to get a specialist adolescent unit in Cornwall. | “What I would really like to see is the equivalent of an accident and emergency facility for those with mental illnesses, but I do applaud anything that starts to bring mental health in line with the way physical health is treated and the Lib Dems have been very good. Norman Lamb has been very supportive of our campaign to get a specialist adolescent unit in Cornwall. |
| “But there is still a long way to go. When my son presented to the GP we were told there was a six-week waiting list to see a psychiatrist. Fortunately, we were in a position to pay for a psychiatrist, but obviously a lot of people won’t be.” | “But there is still a long way to go. When my son presented to the GP we were told there was a six-week waiting list to see a psychiatrist. Fortunately, we were in a position to pay for a psychiatrist, but obviously a lot of people won’t be.” |
| Harriet Stuchbury, 25, was diagnosed with depression when she was 22. | |
| “It sounds like a more reasonable plan than what is available now, but I think it is going to be harder to put in practice than it is to announce in a speech. I went to my GP in March and did not get an appointment on the NHS until May. In the meantime my depression worsened. I took more time off work, and ended up having to leave my job because I could not cope. | “It sounds like a more reasonable plan than what is available now, but I think it is going to be harder to put in practice than it is to announce in a speech. I went to my GP in March and did not get an appointment on the NHS until May. In the meantime my depression worsened. I took more time off work, and ended up having to leave my job because I could not cope. |
| “I paid for private counselling, which was great, but when I eventually got a CBT appointment on the NHS it was not right for me. In that one session that I had, I felt belittled. I was talked to instead of being listened to. I’m so glad that I was able to afford private counselling, because if CBT was my first experience, I dread to think how I would be today. | “I paid for private counselling, which was great, but when I eventually got a CBT appointment on the NHS it was not right for me. In that one session that I had, I felt belittled. I was talked to instead of being listened to. I’m so glad that I was able to afford private counselling, because if CBT was my first experience, I dread to think how I would be today. |
| “So as well as trying to shorten waiting times I think they need to address the quality of what is available on the NHS. At the moment it seems like a one-size-fits-all deal, which doesn’t work for lots of people.” | “So as well as trying to shorten waiting times I think they need to address the quality of what is available on the NHS. At the moment it seems like a one-size-fits-all deal, which doesn’t work for lots of people.” |
| • To contact the Samaritans, call 08457 90 90 90 | • To contact the Samaritans, call 08457 90 90 90 |
| • This article was amended on 20 October 2014 to correct the spelling of Harriet Stuchbury’s name. |