One in four Britons have mental health problems

The UK's first jargon-fee guide to mental health aimed at the general public is published this week.

The Mind: A User's Guide, edited by Dr Raj Persaud, provides easy-to-understand information designed to help the one-in-four people in the UK who suffer from some form of mental problem during their lives and those who care for them.

The Mind is the brainchild of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, with chapters written by 60 mental health experts, including two from the University of Bristol.

David Nutt, Professor of Psychopharmacology at the University of Bristol, contributed to the chapter on Therapies, Treatments and Medication, while Dr Jonathan Evans, Consultant Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at the University, was joint author on the chapter Suicide and Self Harm.

The majority of the chapters have a commentary by Dr Persaud and details of where to go for further information, support and advice.

"When I was approached by the Royal College of Psychiatrists to get involved in this book, I was only too happy to give my support,” says Dr. Raj Persaud. "There is still a huge stigma attached to mental illness, a stigma born of lack of understanding. We hope that the publication of The Mind will start to change this.”

The first section provides easy to understand information on disorders of the mind with chapters covering a range of issues from Alzheimer's and dementias to depression, personality disorder, post -traumatic stress disorder, and less common conditions such as Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome. Other chapters give a simple guide to how the brain works and advice on diagnosis.

Section two looks at managing the mind and covers areas including bereavement and grief, complementary medicines, carers and caring, as well as issues such as drugs, alcohol, domestic violence and gambling.

The Mind also looks to challenge the stigma so often associated with mental illness and addresses many of the myths and misconceptions that deter people from seeking the early help that will ensure they get the best treatment.

Professor Sheila Hollins, President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists said, "One in four people suffer from mental health problems at some time in their lives. We believe there is no health without mental health, so were amazed to discover that no easy-to-understand guide to the mind and mental disorders existed. It was a situation that we felt had to be put right. We hope that The Mind will help those who have a mental illness and those who care for them to better understand what is happening to them and encourage them to seek the early medical help they may need.”

MENTAL HEALTH – SOME FACTS AND FIGURES

Mental Health Today

• 1 in 4 of us will experience some kind of mental health disorder in the course of our lifetime.
• 1 is 6 will suffer from depression – most commonly between the ages of 25 and 44
• 1 in 10 people will suffer from disabling anxiety at some stage in their life
• 60-70% of adults will at some time in their lives experience depression or worry of sufficient severity to influence their daily activities
• Over 60% of the population know someone who has experienced mental health problems according to a You Gov poll for the Royal College of Psychiatrists (March 2007)

Mental Health and the NHS

• More than 600,000 people are treated for mental health problems every year
• It is suggested that more than half of those who visit their GP may have symptoms of depression
• Mental patients account for 50% of people treated by the NHS but mental health services only get 14% of the total NHS budget
• There are 50 mental health trusts across the country employing more than 12,500 people, with a further 1,500 being employed every year
• The Cost of Mental Illness

Mental illness costs the UK £77.4bn each year. This equates to:

• £12.5bn in care from the NHS, local authorities, private sector and family/friends;
• £23.1bn in lost output;
• £41.8bn in human costs

Further information:

The publication of The Mind: A User's Guide supports the Royal College of Psychiatrists' mission to improve public awareness of mental health issues and adds to the detailed public information on mental health issues. It is available for purchase at £14.99 from the Royal College website: www.rcpsych.ac.uk

There is still a huge stigma attached to mental illness. We hope that publication of The Mind will start to change this.

Dr Raj Persaudd but blood tests are not yet complete.