Speaking at the launch of Confident Communities, Brighter Futures – a framework for developing well-being, Coalition co-chair Dr Andrew McCulloch said: “The Future Vision Coalition welcomed New Horizons not least for its emphasis on public mental health. We are now delighted to welcome today’s framework which has a very valuable role in setting out the evidence for different approaches to mental health improvement.
“Mental ill health is both extremely common and very costly. It affects one in six of us every year and costs more than £77 billion. Every day, we have opportunities to promote good mental health in schools, workplaces and neighbourhoods yet we often don’t take them. And we can do much more to offer help more quickly when people first become unwell or are vulnerable because of events in their lives. If we took more of those opportunities, we could create a mentally healthier society and make substantial savings to public spending.
“But we need long term commitment to achieve change. This could be the beginning of another revolution in public mental health or it could all fade into the background and will do without that wider commitment. The challenge now is to develop a comprehensive public mental health strategy and to embed this within public health, where it belongs.”
The Future Vision Coalition comprises the Association of Directors of Adults Social Services, the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, the Local Government Association, the Mental Health Foundation, the Mental Health Network of the NHS Confederation, the Mental Health Providers Forum, Mind, Rethink, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health and Together.
Today’s publication follows the publication in December 2009 of New Horizons, which replaced the National Service Framework for Mental Health. In July 2009, the coalition published its own Future Vision for Mental Health including proposals for a national public mental health strategy.
Download the future visions publication