A report sponsored by MQ influenced Government mental health policy for children and young people, which will help prevent a mental illness pandemic among the next generation of adults.
We are delighted to see that an APPG Report, sponsored by MQ influenced the UK Government's mental health policy for children and young people. The Government changes will help to protect the mental health of the youngest generation. It's an exciting outcome, but so much more can be done to help young people's mental health.
An abridged version of the report can be viewed here.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for a Fit and Healthy Childhood published the report: The COVID generation: A mental health pandemic in the making last month. Over 41 experts in mental health, child development and industry leaders contributed. They warned that without urgent action from the UK Government we risked a mental health pandemic for young people.
Thanks to the campaigning of the authors, we are now starting to see changes in Government policy.
“Using MQ’s expert voice to highlight to the Government the mental health needs of vulnerable people is a vital part of our work. It is thanks to MQ’s supporters that we have been able to bring about real change through this report.”
Lea Milligan, CEO MQ Mental Health Research
In Mental Health Awareness Week, the Government boosted spending on mental health services in schools and colleges.
Secretary of State for Education, Gavin Williamson announced a further £17 million in funding for pupils and students to help them recover from the devastating and ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The package is part of the Government’s strategy to ‘build back better’ and includes:
- £9.5 million to train a ‘senior mental health lead’ from existing staff in up to 7,800 schools and colleges.
- A £7 million ‘Wellbeing for Education Recovery’ programme providing free, expert training, support and resources for staff working with young people experiencing problems arising from the pandemic including trauma, anxiety or grief.
- The Department of Education will also fund a ‘link’ programme. This is designed to improve partnerships between health and education leaders in local areas, raise awareness of mental health concerns and improve referrals to specialist help.
- The Government are launching Education Staff Wellbeing Charter to protect and promote the well-being of all staff working in schools and colleges.
- They will also establish a Suicide Safer Universities framework to ‘promote good practice in the sector, ensuring that university students are supported throughout their studies.
The Queen’s Speech on 11th May included a commitment to reform the Mental Health Act. A Government timescale states that a Bill will be introduced to Parliament in 2022 to give people greater control over their treatment, especially disabled or autistic people.
Conservative MP Sir David Amess welcomed the new legislation: ‘I am pleased that there is an emphasis on early detection and coping strategies,’
and Dean Russell (Con) stressed the need for ‘an integrated approach’ to the serious mental health issues that had been: ‘An absolute focus in my constituency over the past few years.’
In addition, Labour has announced a new shadow cabinet role, a Shadow Secretary of State for Child Poverty. This role is yet to be filled but will help continue the momentum of positive change.
Lead Author, Helen Clark thanked everyone who had contributed to the report and said that she was:
"delighted that it is already influencing Government thinking about what is urgently needed to provide the best possible mental health services for children and young people.
"But there is much more work to do.
"Above all, a Government determined to apply the ‘levelling-up’ test to all its policies must make this a priority for the new Mental Health Act. Our report demonstrates the devastating effect on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing of ingrained disadvantage, social exclusion and poverty.
We hope to meet Ministers and officials at the earliest possible to ensure that the first big reform of mental health services in the UK for 38 years will be a milestone for the society that we want to make after the COVID-19 pandemic and not just another sad testimony to a lost generation."
By bringing together experts in mental health and sponsoring this report MQ shared expert voices directly with the decision-makers in the Government. It is only with accurate data, generated through research, that policymakers can make informed decisions
This is why the work MQ is doing is so vital. By supporting groundbreaking research into mental health we can not only help to develop effective treatments but also inform policy to help prevent mental health problems from taking hold.
Will you consider supporting the work of MQ today?
This month, all donations to MQ will be matched, so there's never been a better time to donate towards life-changing mental health research.
