Corbyn's views on mental health

I was heartened by Jeremy Corbyn's answer to a question posed to him and Owen Smith about the mental health crisis this country is facing in the Victoria Derbyshire Labour Leadership debate the other day. I don't want to get too political in this blog but I feel that his answer demonstrated a real understanding of the challenges faced by those suffering mental health conditions and some good ideas for moving forward.

"We do face a mental health crisis in this country. One in four of us are going to face a crisis during our own lifetimes. We can do two things. One is change our language and change our approach and change our attitudes so that young people don’t suffer in silence and fear of talking about it, and sadly some even take their own lives as a result of it. We can do a lot in that respect."

This really resonates with me because of the ignorance and fear I have witnessed from my own family members in the past, let alone various acquaintances through the years. If I hadn't grown up believing that my own difficulties were something to be ashamed of and to hide then perhaps I would have gotten the help I needed sooner. I hate to think of others in similar situations suffering in silence because of the small-minded attitudes of those around them. I often talk about the statistics in the ACT course I co-present and I'm sure I'll dedicate a post to them at some point in the near future. It is amazing to think that so many of us experience mental health difficulties at some point in our lives but there is still such stigma surrounding mental health. I would love to see a government working towards changing the way mental health is viewed in this country.

"Secondly, absolutely invest in good quality, immediate talking therapies and support for those going through a crisis. If you’ve gone through, or are in the midst of a crisis, and you go to your GP, and you say ‘I’m going through a mental health crisis’, a good GP would do something for you immediately. A less effective GP would, say, put you on a waiting list for talking therapy in a month’s time or seeing a psychiatrist in six weeks’ time or something like that. It’s got to be there and available and immediate."

This would be great to see in action. Throughout the years I have personally experienced the delays and waiting lists he speaks of here. When you need to speak to someone about mental health you need to speak to them right then, not at some point in the distant future. I know what a huge step asking for help can be to someone struggling with, in my case, depression and to be told that you won't be talking to someone for weeks or even months can be so disheartening. Obviously the funding has to be there to support it, but Corbyn's assertion of making these therapies available and immediate is very heartening and hopefully shows a potential of a brighter future for those in need of mental health services.