Almost half of Londoners — 45% — report high levels of anxiety compared to 40 % of the rest of the UK.
Mental Health: The Politics
Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington has called for MPs to debate mental health and the wellbeing of Londoners. This follows a pledge by the Liberal Democrat party to put mental health on the front page of their election manifesto.
Speaking in the chamber this afternoon on #mentalhealth and #wellbeing in #London- a city in which mental illness affects up to 1m people
— Diane Abbott MP (@HackneyAbbott) February 12, 2015
Meanwhile, Andy Burnham, Shadow Secretary of State for Health said mental health would be central to his concept of ‘whole person care'. The Labour party has indicated that children's mental health will be a priority if they win the election.
Mind The Gap
With more than a million Londoners suffering with undiagnosed mental health conditions, the London Health Board is planning to establish a digital health service to "offer a strategic response to a gap in service provision".
It's hoped an ‘online pan-London digital mental health service' available on smart phones and computers, will allow people to check their own mental health and manage their wellbeing, with online support from health professionals.
1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Emotional support IS available, visit: http://t.co/JjwaDOiwzI
— SANE (@CharitySANE) February 10, 2015
"The vision is to improve mental wellbeing and increase mental health resilience of adults in London, by offering an open access digital service to London's 6.5 million adults", according to the London Health Board.
Moral and Economic Cost of Mental Illness
The London Mental Health Report, published by the Greater London Authority, says it's not just about mental disorders — people living in London are the most anxious in the UK.
And it's not just the cost to people's wellbeing — but to the economy as well. It's estimated that the economic and social costs of mental ill health in London is around £26 billion per year.
In London 111,000 young people are thought to have significant mental health problems, costing the education system around £200 million pounds a year.
According to Mayor Boris Johnson, "it's not just our famous ‘stiff upper lip'. There are still many misconceptions about what mental ill health is, how it happens and what can be done about it.
"It is time to talk to Londoners about our mental health — with our loved ones and colleagues, professionally and in public."
