Mind says mental health patients need faster access to therapy

The charity says treatment is effective only if patients receive counselling within three months of being diagnosed

One in five people with mental illnesses do not get the right therapy from doctors – despite good evidence of its effectiveness, the mental health charity Mind says today. The charity said that its research showed that early access to “talking therapies” such as counselling was essential in treating people with mental illnesses and depression. Those waiting fewer than three months from assessment to treatment were almost five times more likely to report that it helped them get back to work than those waiting between one and two years.

Yet more than two-thirds of patients were given no choice, Mind said, left with little more than the offer of drugs. Mental distress costs the economy in England an estimated £105bn each year – equal to the entire NHS budget.

“The Government has made a commitment to choice in its health white paper, and a promise to improve access to talking therapies,” said Mind’s chief executive Paul Farmer. “The forthcoming comprehensive spending review is their opportunity to demonstrate that they are serious about both.”