We were proud to have Luciana Berger, shadow minister for public health, speak at the launch of our campaign last year. Speaking to a room filled predominantly with young members, Luciana confidently identified the vision needed for a mental health service fit for the 21st century. Question after question, from young people across the movement, we learnt that Labour’s shadow health team understands that this election must tackle the mental health crisis that is happening across the country. Yesterday, Ed Miliband reaffirmed that commitment.
The Labour Campaign for Mental Health came from the discussions and experiences of young members. It was evident that children and adolescent mental health services are the terrain for one of the most tragic injustices that our country currently hosts. It is a landscape where the problems are unavoidable, the change that is needed evident, yet the conversation still ignored.
It has been yet another show pony of this government, with ministers such as Norman Lamb ‘buzzwording’ their way through it and leaving a further crippled service behind. It was therefore crucial the Labour party had strong, evidence-based tools to make the repairs.
It is fantastic to see what such an inventory now holds. Already, Ed Miliband told us that a Labour government will direct money into early intervention, children and adolescent clinical care, and evidence-based talking therapies. Furthermore, it was essential mental health was not seen as something just for the NHS. Therefore it was also great to see much-called-for policy such as proper training for teachers, and an actual focus on counselling in our schools.
The period of 16 to 25 is a peak point for mental health problems, yet also the lowest point of service use. Therefore, as we have called for at the Labour Campaign for Mental Health since we launched, mental health can not just be a topic for the agenda of the shadow health team. In order to really invest in early intervention, more has to be pledged then simply our NHS. It is therefore encouraging that others, such as Tristram Hunt, have seen mental health on the agenda of their brief too.
This is a great step forward. However, more must be expected. As the Taskforce on Mental Health in Society notes, the debate reaches to a societal level. This means mental health cannot just be Monday’s priority. We now need to see it across more department policy announcements. Only then will it be evident whether this is a priority that will be shared across government, and not just a secretary of state.
So let us see announcements such as a future Labour education secretary encouraging schools outreaching to youth-run community activities, a Labour department for work and pensions that accounts for the connection between unemployment and mental health, and in turn a Labour government that has a real programme for action and the answers to the crisis.
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Victoria Desmond and Jack Falkingham are founders of Labour Campaign for Mental Health. Follow the campaign @Labour_MH