General Chat

The government is piloting a scheme to help the unemployed with mental health problems. I have never had any sympathy for those who just do not want to work - those who prefer instead to live at the expense of the tax-payer. That said, this report does concern me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28281839

The reason it concerns me is that, depression and anxiety affect people in different ways, they can be serious conditions that can devastate peoples lives, not just the individual who suffers from these conditions, but also their family and friends.

Depression and anxiety are complicated conditions, it is not unusual for an individual to suffer suffer from both, it is also not unusual for a medical condition to be the cause, depending on the individual, treatment of the conditions can vary, it may involve counselling, it may involve medication, it may involve a combination of both.

Whatever the treatment, the individual needs to firstly want to be helped, and secondly the needs of the individual require careful consideration to avoid their condition becoming chronic, if this happens an individual could become suicidal, so the job of providing the required help is one for professionally trained individuals - not one under any circumstance that should be tasked to amateurs.

When I look at the government record and those of the organisations they have used to carry out tests for other benefits, I am concerned about about two things:-

1) Is this a genuine attempt by government to held one of the most vulnerable groups in our society, those with mental health problems - or is it just another ploy to save money?

2) If a genuine attempt to held those with mental health problems - will it be managed and controlled by professions with experience in dealing with those who suffer from mental health conditions?

Either way the government needs to tread very very carefully - if they do not lives could end tragically :-(

Several attempts at a post later lol....

If this 'scheme' (for want of a better word) is going to be voluntary, shouldn't these measures to help those with mental illness already be in place?

If you omit the words 'work, jobs and employment' from this:

"Using group work "to build self-efficacy and resilience to setbacks faced by job seekers
Providing access to online mental health and work assessment and support
Third parties, commissioned by Jobcentre Plus, to provide telephone-based psychological and employment-related support"

Shouldn't all of that be a given provision, regardless of employment targets, given that :

"The facts and figures around Mental Health in the UK are alarming.

1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year
Mixed anxiety and depression is the most common mental disorder in Britain
Women are more likely to have been treated for a mental health problem than men
About 10% of children have a mental health problem at any one time
Depression affects 1 in 5 older people
Suicides rates show that British men are three times as likely to die by suicide than British women
Self-harm statistics for the UK show one of the highest rates in Europe: 400 per 100,000 population
Only 1 in 10 prisoners has no mental disorder"

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-statistics/

Sirius - those statistics are quite alarming, I just hope this scheme will not make the situation even more alarming :-(

I think it's wonderful that the government want to offer treatment to those crippled by anxiety and/or depression.

A shame it's just to save money, though, and has strings attached.

I'm guessing it will just cause extra stress to those suffering already.

Surely, as one sufferer said, they're receiving help from the NHS already, and this is just repetition - or is it?

I can (unfortunately) see another ATOS disaster looming, that won't save money - as the (undoubtedly private) firm will cost more than is saved, as ATOS did, and as they will be 'target' based, will be as ruthless as ATOS.

If, and I say if, because the full scheme has not been rolled out yet nor have the full details.

If people suffering with depression and or anxiety, have, like some other schemes, their benefits stopped or reduced for not agreeing to accept help, I think that would only worsen their depression and or anxiety, and the results could be disastrous.

I am sure the government know this, so why are they proposing to roll this out nationally - if not to save money :-S

the giovernment should try putting money into the treatment of mental health rather than on new fangled schemes - mental health is always the bottom of the pile when it comes to the NHS - having worked in mental health for nigh on thirty years I saw it falling further and further down - patients with mental health problems just don't rate - I could go on ad infinitum but I'll only get myself in a state so I'll stop there

This is the most disgusting idea I have ever seen mooted, or one of them anyway.

The wait for help with mental health problems is longer than ever in our area and the help is poor at best, lack of communication between departments and lack of qualified people causes timewasting interviews (assessments done over the phone and then lost or misdirected is one example) and I can only see this latest idea causing despair and possibly even suicide for the people who are suffering depression anxiety and similar problems.


Wake up and smell the coffee, those idiots in the government who think they have the answers, walk in others' shoes before you dictate such tripe!

Lizx with steam coming out of her ears!

OneFootinTheGrave, as you have said Depression and Anxiety are complexed.
I suffer from both as well as Fibromyalgia, and when you go to these assessments they just don't seem to consider all the aspects of any of these conditions.
Anyone who knows what it is like to have Fibromyalgia will know that this condition on its own causes great difficulty on a day to day basis and having the added conditions of depression and anxiety can make the situation very difficult. One of my biggest problems is that I struggle to even go out on my own and when you have your assessment they don't see this as a problem and say you are fit for work, how the hell are you suppose to get to a job every day if you firstly can't face going out.
This goverment just don't care how it is for someone like me and many many other sufferers with Mental Health issue's, what I say is ( walk in our shoe's ) and then you might understand that we are not all "Scroungers" as we are labled.

Sorry for going on but I'm fed up with the way we are treated, I worked very hard for years working 7dys a week for 12/13wks and then a week off as a carer for one family and ended up having what my Dr said was a "burn out " and on the verge of breaking point and I feel since I had to give my job up I am treated as someone in the gutter.

Liz I totally agree with you, steam coming out of my ears too :-|

when you consider that one in four will suffer from some form of mental illness - and I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that has increased - there should be far more input into mental health services - psychiatric hospitals are closing down for "care in the community" - a joke. There is very little care in the community

our local psychiatric hospital - admittedly over 100 years old, is due for closure and the elderly mentally ill have been moved to a hospital on the outskirts of the city - to a small village type area with no shops or facilities other than one pub - here in Whitchurch we have every conceivable amenity including both train and bus services - also the patients are well accepted in the community - they will not be accepted where they are going

the addiction unit, the young peoples unit have both closed long ago to care in the community - the NHS doesn't care about the mentally ill

When we went trust, our psychiatric hospital had a healthy financial status but the University Hospital of Wales was in the red - and you know what they did - they took all our surplus and left us in the red - going Trust was one of the worst things that happened in the NHS in my opinion.

Assistant Psychologists are seen as training posts. The NHS is the only provider. Vacancies are like hens teeth as the funding has been cut. So were exactly are all these trained Councillors going to come from, or are they expecting to fill the posts with someone who has done a, say, 6 month part time course?

Diane, are you our guide from Liverpool?

I too have fm and chronic fatigue syndrome so understand what you mean and I have had depression and anxiety most of my life. When I was younger and had to have time off work it was called nervous debility and that explained it better as it was debilitating still is.

I wouldn't normally wish anyone ill but I do wish Cameron and some of these idiots who think they know everything, could have a few months of suffering the way so many others suffer, oh and make them continue working or live on peanuts (moneywise) for that time too. They might have a little more understanding and compassion then instead of coming up with these barmy ideas.

Lizx

Interesting to read the comments of the Tory MP for Totnes, Dr Sarah Wollaston, who was elected Chair of the Health Committee on the 18th June 2014, she is also a qualified doctor. It has been reported that she said, stripping benefit claimants of their allowances if they refuse to go to undergo treatment for depression would be "unethical and completely ridiculous."

She is also reported to have said that, consent is a very important principle in the treatment of those with mental health issues and to link some kind of compulsion to that treatment by forcing people into counselling would present "profound ethical issues."

Dr Wollaston added - "This kind of thing is enormously damaging for the Conservatives. No 10 urgently need to squash this. Do they think this is ethical? Do they think there is any evidence this will work? I have long supported the principle of offering individual placement and support to help get people into work, but this needs to be immediately clarified."

Wonders where all these jobs are?

There are areas in the country where unemployment is very high because there are no jobs.

And then other areas where there are some jobs, but not enough people to take them or they are seasonal.
Do the government expect
people to just upsticks and move. Where to, most people cannot afford a mortgage these days, and most councils just do not have the homes to accomodate who may wish to move.

I despair. I am certain, that all the millionaires in the current government, have just lost all sense of reality, and do not understand how most of us live and survive.

I am wondering where all these counsellors, therapists, and other professionals are - as it has been reported that we are talking in excess of 250,000 people with mental health problems :-S

Hi Liz,

yes I am your Liverpool guide and remember you saying you suffered from FM.
As you will probably remember I was working when I met you and it was the job that I was doing then and loosing 4 family members in a spat of 3mths that contributed to the problems I have now.

I waited nearly 5mths to get some councelling which lasted for 10 sessions whether or not I needed any longer that was the alloted time I was given.

So if this goverment goes ahead with their stupid idea I'm guessing people will be waiting for about 18mths to 2yrs before they see anyone or even longer :-(