Public Mental Health And Well-Being – The Local Perspective

There is growing evidence to show the positive impact that improving mental well-being can have on health and social and economic outcomes, but little is known about how this important and emerging agenda is developing within localities.

The 'Public Mental Health And Well-Being - The Local Perspective' report examines local leaders' perceptions of public mental health and well-being, the progress they have made, how they are acting on recent evidence, and how addressing mental illness and improving mental well-being go hand in hand.

It can be downloaded here: http://www.nmhdu.org.uk/silo/files/public-mental-health-and-wellbeing--the-local-perspective.pdf

The report, which has a foreword from care services minister Paul Burstow and parliamentary under secretary of state for public health Anne Milton, is based on interviews and focus groups with:

• heads of primary care trusts
• GP practices
• local authorities
• public health services
• mental health trusts

Evidence

It makes clear the strong evidence base for improving local environments, intervening in the early years where necessary, supporting parents, working with schools to help improve mental well-being and taking action to reduce health inequalities. And it sets out the evidence base for improving mental well-being while providing case studies of what is already being done in many local areas across England.

Opportunity

With the health and social care system undergoing such fundamental change, there is a massive opportunity to give mental well-being the priority it deserves. Getting it right will require:

• strong local leadership and joint working
• better data
• making the evidence available
• implementing evidence