AMs say time to Act on Mental Health Taboo

Mid and West Wales AMs Rebecca Evans and Joyce Watson have pledged to help tackle the stigma over mental health as the Welsh Labour Government announced a ground-breaking new strategy.
The new strategy – “Together for Mental Health” – gives a commitment to support patients “from cradle to the grave.”
Research currently shows that one in four adults will suffer from mental illness at some stage of their lives, one in 10 children between the ages of five and 16 suffer from mental illness and one in six people over 80 years old will have memory problems, such as dementia.
Mrs Evans said: “Mental ill health affects thousands of people across Wales, and yet it is still not something that is openly discussed.
“Because mental ill health can affect people at any time, it is important that the right services and support are available for patients whatever their age.
“The new strategy is exciting because it re-focuses services on helping people recover from mental ill-health. It also seeks to enable patients to work with service providers to reach their goals in all areas of their life – including in education and work, and in social, cultural and physical pursuits.”
Mrs Watson said: “This is potentially the biggest breakthrough in mental health provision since community care came in 30 years ago.
“In the past, some people were left stranded, unable to access quality mental health services in their communities. The new strategy aims to give everyone every opportunity to work towards recovery.”
Health Minister Lesley Griffiths said:
“One in four people will experience mental illness at some point in their lives. This can be triggered by bereavement, a trauma or even constantly worrying about money. In these days of financial austerity, we need to have more resilience to deal with the everyday pressures we face.
“Together for Mental Health is our commitment to do all we can to ensure we help people in Wales enjoy good mental health and wellbeing and those with mental ill-health are given all the support possible to recover and lead fulfilling lives.”