Investment in mental health is crucial to seeing the country through the next phases of the pandemic, a new report has said today.
Published by the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Centre for Mental Health, the report argues people’s mental wellbeing will play a crucial role in every aspect of recovery planning.
The report calls for a locally-led approach to promoting people’s mental wellbeing to stop more serious problems from developing.
Cllr Ian Hudspeth, chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: ‘Our mental health is so closely linked with other essential areas of our lives, including housing, employment, social inclusion and economic development. Councils are uniquely placed to use their services to connect all parts of this system together and help ensure the country is prepared for the future.
’As this report states, we need to refocus our policies and funding towards these preventative local services, to help reduce health inequalities and ensure better mental health for all.’
Figures show that the total cost of mental health problems in the UK was £119bn in 2018/19.
