As we come to the end of this year's Mental Health Awareness Week, we have yet again seen mental illness brought to the forefront of our media platforms. This time, the lead up was more prominent than ever with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry launching their campaign, ‘Heads Together’. The campaign highlights personal stories of central figures in popular culture. Prince Harry himself spoke about his experiences of psychological distress after his mother’s passing. We also saw stories shared by the likes of Lady Gaga, Professor Green and Ruby Wax – who all spoke about their own journeys with mental illness in order to 'start the conversation'.
There is no getting away from the fact that as a result of the Royals giving this traditionally taboo subject a platform, awareness has been brought to some of the struggles that come with living with mental illness. But is sharing stories from arguably some of the most privileged members of society really enough?
It is all well and good to hear Harry talk about his struggle to ask for support and you could argue that at least it highlights the fact that no one is immune to this situation, therefore encouraging sufferers to seek support when they need it. But what comes after the decision to find help? This part of the journey to mental wellbeing seems to have been pushed to one side throughout the campaign.
The sad reality is that these stories are not representative of the majority of people struggling with mental illness in our country. When Harry finally spoke up and asked for help, he wasn’t put onto a waiting list that could take months like anyone using our NHS services. He also didn’t have the added stress of the prospect of losing his job or his home if he decided to disclose his illness to an employer. The problem with this sort of campaigning is that it puts the emphasis on the individual to change their own life, situation or journey themselves. The narrative is that if you disclose your illness, then the help is readily available and it’s down to you to harness that support and use it to your advantage.
Not once has the campaign spoken about cuts to benefits that so many people in this situation bear the brunt of. It also doesn’t speak about waiting lists or even the length of time it might take to book an appointment with a GP in the first place. Nor does it mention the many ‘high-risk’ people with mental health needs who have been held in police cells because of cuts made by the Conservative government, causing a decrease in the number of hospital beds available.
There has been no exploration of the causes of deterioration to so many people’s health. There has been no mention of the ‘fit to work’ assessments carried out by the DWP that have led to hundreds of suicides. It doesn’t mention the housing crisis that our country is facing and the pressures this inflicts on thousands of people. It certainly doesn’t mention the growing number of people under the current government using food banks - indicating malnourishment in hundreds of thousands of adults and children which often has a knock on effect to their mental wellbeing.
We are living in a society where those affected by mental illness, who find themselves relying on support from the state, are perceived scroungers that don’t help themselves. This, coupled with the traditional British perception of ‘stiff upper lip’ and ‘there are plenty more people who have it worse so just get on with it’, causes significant damage to the most vulnerable in society. The sharing of personal stories and the idea that we all have the tools to help ourselves, just as much as the Royal family might, only perpetuates these issues. Personal stories from a handful of privileged people can only act as a plaster to cover the root cause of this growing epidemic. Fair enough, you might find yourself in Professor Green’s situation who struggled with mental illness before his rise to fame – but how many of us are suddenly going to break through as music artists and make our millions?
To reiterate, there is no getting away from the fact that by using their platform to speak about such a significant issue, the Royals are doing something fantastic. But there is also so much more work to be done. Lady Gaga talking about having to get up on stage each night while battling with depression – no discredit to her situation and her struggles – is not going to benefit an unemployed individual with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
So what can we do to make a difference? Speaking up about mental illness is a positive start, but we also have to recognise the real issues that people are facing in these situations. We have to stand up to our government when they are closing hospitals and cutting funding to services that support people who find themselves at the bottom of the pile. We have to hold our government to account and we have now been presented with the ideal opportunity to do so. The general election gives us the chance to drive out the Conservatives and put our country in the hands of a government that will invest in these vital services that we so desperately need.
Theresa May has made mental health a key focus of her election campaign by promising to scrap the 1983 Mental Health Act. The party has pledged to spend 1bn more on mental health which will go towards funding 10,000 extra staff. This all sounds good in principle but aside from that fact that there has been no indication of where this money is coming from, there has been no acknowledgement of the desperate need for more hospital beds.
The phrase actions speak louder than words comes to mind. The Conservatives have not only failed to invest in mental health services throughout their time in government, they have also consistently cut vital services that are there to support people struggling with mental illness. Between 2010 and 2015 the Conservative/Lib Dem government slashed the equivalent of £598m from mental health budgets each year.
May’s voting record also shows her personal feelings towards some of the root causes of the mental illness epidemic in this country – she voted for the bedroom tax, voted against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability
and she consistently voted to reduce welfare.
The party’s reputation as the government of U-turns also shows that a Tory promise is an empty promise.
It seems more likely that the Conservatives will be going down the route of privatisation when it comes to our health services. During their time in power we have seen steady signs of this with NHS budget going to firms such as Virgin Care, Care UK and Bupa. Department of Health (DH) figures have shown that the amount of funding that went to ‘independent sector providers’ between 2015 – 2016 rose to £8.7bn. We are now at a time where nearly 10% of NHS funding goes to private companies.
To make matters worse, the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) has given new criteria that directly discriminates against claimants with mental health needs. Claimants who have limited mobility due to mental health conditions are now being told that they are not entitled to the mobility component of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) – even if the effects of their illness equal that of someone with a physical impairment.
Although Labour is yet to release their official 2017 manifesto, a leaked document has revealed that they plan to invest £6billion-a-year into the NHS, raised from new taxes on the nation’s highest earners. This is good news for people struggling with mental health needs as it will allow millions to be taken off waiting lists and receive the treatment they so desperately need. The document also stated that NHS privatisation will be “reversed” and the NHS and Social Care Act 2012 repealed.
It is a sad state of affairs when our Royal Family is doing more than our own government to support some of the most vulnerable in society. But starting the conversation is only that – the start of gruelling mission to fix the tremendous damage caused by our current government. We can share our personal struggles as much as we want but in the end we must come together and take action to stop such situations from happening in the first place.
If you really want to make an impact on mental health in this country then vote Labour on June 8.
