According to many experts, the UK is facing a mental health crisis. In England alone, approximately 1.2 million individuals are waiting for mental health assistance, with around 270,000 of them being children. The impact of poor mental health is increasing rapidly, costing the UK economy nearly £120 billion annually, mainly due to lost productivity. This accounts for 5 percent of the UK’s GDP. There is an obvious need to tackle mental health care issues in the UK. Although most political parties have proposed plans in their manifestos to address the crisis, these measures will likely fall short regardless of the election outcome.
The Conservative party manifesto proposes a twofold strategy. Firstly, like most other parties, they promise additional funding for support and treatment, focusing mainly on children and young people. This approach seems logical, as early intervention could prevent some mental health issues from worsening. They also intend to extend their recent early support hub initiative for people aged 11-25 to every community by 2030. These hubs offer therapy and advice on various issues to young people. However, their plans do not indicate how they will help young people navigate the socioeconomic circumstances that often trigger mental health problems. The second part of the Conservatives’ mental health plans is more problematic. They intend to make major alterations to the eligibility for benefits and personal independence payments (PIP). The party plans to introduce more “objective” PIP assessments to disqualify individuals with “moderate mental health issues” who could potentially work, thereby cutting costs. This plan stigmatizes those with mental health conditions and neglects the fact that workplace challenges and financial instability can sometimes trigger or worsen mental illness. Instead of allowing people time to recover, this policy could exacerbate symptoms for those struggling, potentially reducing productivity in the future.
The Labour manifesto also prioritizes child and youth mental health. They plan to establish “young futures hubs.” Although these hubs primarily aim to reduce knife crime, they will also provide drop-in mental health services. Labour promises specialist mental health services in every school and intends to recruit 8,500 new NHS mental health staff to decrease waiting times. Labour highlights its preventative approach, asserting that mental illness must be treated equally to physical illness. However, Labour does not elaborate on how it plans to prevent mental illness. The party pledges to update the Mental Health Act to lessen discrimination against Black individuals in mental health services. Black people are five times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act than white people. Since the Act determines who can be sectioned and treated without their consent, amending it would grant Black patients greater autonomy, choice, and support in their care.
Among the parties, the Liberal Democrat party’s mental health plans are likely the most comprehensive, though that might not be saying much. The party intends to create young people’s mental health hubs and recruit additional mental health professionals in schools. The Lib Dems also propose updating the Mental Health Act and introducing a mental health commissioner to advocate for patients at the legislative level.
They promise to aid police in handling mental health crises better. They propose a one-hour target for handing over individuals in crisis to mental health services, offering more mental health training for police, and ensuring a mental health professional in every police control room. They recognize the need to improve existing psychiatric hospitals where abuse has been reported. They want to ensure patients are referred to treatment facilities near their homes. The Lib Dem manifesto hints at implementing preventative mental health strategies by providing mental health checks at key life stages, potentially leading to early problem diagnoses. They recognize the link between debt and mental illness but largely lack a comprehensive prevention strategy.
The Green Party’s manifesto focuses on the needs of underrepresented groups in mental health. For instance, they will place counselors in every school and train more from underrepresented backgrounds, potentially encouraging vulnerable children to seek help. They will offer additional support to neurodivergent children, which could prevent future issues from arising. They pledge increased funding for mental health services to ensure access to therapy within 28 days. Surprisingly, the Greens don’t address the connection between mental health and the environment, such as the benefits of spending time outdoors. This oversight highlights how preventive mental health care isn’t a priority for most parties.
The Plaid Cymru manifesto briefly mentions mental health, expressing support for reforming the Mental Health Act. They aim to implement changes to prevent long waits for neurodivergent children and young people needing support. The SNP manifesto doesn’t directly address mental health, but since health is a devolved power, it will likely be covered more thoroughly in the next Holyrood election. The Reform UK manifesto scarcely touches on mental health, simply stating that employment is “critical” to improving mental health without acknowledging the complexities of work-related mental health issues, such as the negative impact of insecure or unfulfilling work.
Reform doesn’t outline plans for helping those with mental health problems find employment. It mentions that social media can lead to various mental health problems in children and pledges to investigate these harms. However, research suggests the relationship between social media and mental health is complex. All manifestos lack a strong preventive mental health strategy to address the growing mental health challenges. Despite substantial evidence on the impact of socioeconomic issues, limited access to nature, and diet on mental health, these issues are not directly addressed in any manifesto.