Sainsbury Centre Policy Watch

Overall suicide rate falling, but increasing in prisons

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:00:00 GMT

The 2007 Annual Report of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy for England highlights a continuing fall in the overall suicide rate, but also concludes that:

There were 145 suicides among mental health in-patients in 2005 compared with 157 in 2004.
There were 1277 suicides among people in contact with mental health services in 2005, compared to 1308 in 2004.
There were 82 self inflicted deaths in prisons in 2007/08 compared with 71 in 06/07.
While much progress has been made in the reporting of suicide by the media, many journalists and editors remain unaware of either general or in-house reporting guidelines on suicide.

Implementing the Mental Health Act 2007: Transitional arrangements

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:00:00 GMT

This Department of Health guidance explains the transitional provisions associated with changes to the Mental Health Act that come into force on 3 November 2008.

Review of the NHS acute inpatient mental health services

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

This report by the Healthcare Commission says the quality of the services varies widely across the country. It identifies areas for action, particularly improving the involvement of patients in their care.

It concludes that better co-ordination is needed to ensure that service users do not spend any longer in hospital than necessary and are supported when they move from hospital to community services.

Waiting for psychological therapies causes damage

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

A group of mental health charities has published a report which says that the lives of those stuck on long NHS waiting lists for psychological treatments are being damaged as a result. Mental health problems can worsen, relationships can break down and some people are forced to take time off from work - or give up a job completely - according to While we are waiting.

National clinical guidelines recommend that psychological treatments should be made available on the NHS, but they remain difficult to access and the wait for patients is long.

Stigma and Discrimination survey by Rethink

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Over 3000 people affected by mental health problems across England took part in the largest ever survey about stigma and discrimination. 87% of people said they had direct personal experience of stigma and discrimination. The results are presented in Stigma Shout .

Stigma Shout is helping to shape the Moving People programme and in particular the national anti-stigma marketing campaign.

A Health Needs Assessment of Offenders on Probation Caseloads

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

A University of Lincoln study to investigate the health needs of a group of offenders in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

The report also examines the way in which offenders on probation access services.

No one written off: green paper on welfare reform

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Incapacity benefits and Income Support are to be replaced with a more streamlined system of just two working-age benefits - the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), for those who have a medical condition which prevents them from working, and Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) for everyone who is able to work.

The Welfare Reform Green Paper is out for consultation until 22 October.

Our response urges the government to invest sufficiently in proven approaches to supporting people with mental health problems into employment.

MPs forced to hide mental health problems

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

A new report published today by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Mental Health, with support from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Mind, Rethink and Stand to Reason, shows that one in five MPs has experience of a mental health problem but fears disclosing this because of the stigma and discrimination associated with mental health issues.

An anonymous questionnaire revealed that:

27% had personal experience of a mental health problem
94% had family or friends who have experienced a mental health problem
86% of MPs said their job was stressful
1 in 3 said work-based stigma and the expectation of a hostile reaction from the media and public prevented them from being open about mental health issues

The Parliamentary Group has made recommendations including the repeal of laws that prevent people with experience of mental health problems from standing for Parliament and enouraging MPs and Peers to be more open about their experiences of mental health problems.

Policy Exchange report on mental healthcare in prisons

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Out of Sight, Out of Mind demonstrates that change is needed across the board to tackle the high levels of mental distress among the rising prison population.

High Hopes: Supporting ex-prisoners in their lives after prison

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

This report examines the impact of support services on the decisions prisoners made and their attitudes and expectations immediately prior to and following their release. It covers employment, housing, substance misuse, finances and the service providers' views.