Tackling the stigma of mental illness
Last night my Legislative Competence Order on the devolution of powers to Wales to reform our mental health services was approved by The Queen in a meeting of the Privy Council.
This is the first time that an ordinary back-bench Assembly Member has succeeded in pioneering a transfer of legislative power from Westminster to Wales. The problem with being in opposition is that there are limitations on what can be achieved, the opportunity therefore to convince both the Assembly and Parliament of the pressing need to transfer powers is somewhat unique.
Now that these powers rest in Wales the Assembly can get moving with reforming mental health services which have lagged behind the rest of the NHS in responding to the needs of patients. In addition to giving early access to assessment, care & treatment, and advocacy, we need to use this momentum to tackle the stigma of mental illness.
The pain and suffering caused by a physical injury, perhaps a disease or broken limb or a hospital stay all inspire sympathy from friends, neighbours and relatives. The pain and suffering caused by a psychological injury is not always seen in the same context, even though 1 in 4, perhaps 1 in 3 of us will encounter such an injury at some point in our lives.
As the Assembly Government now moves to the introduction of a Welsh law to reform mental health services we need to use the opportunity to deal with the perceptions of what mental illness is, and how any of us can be affected. It doesn’t matter what we all do for a living or how wealthy, intelligent, or fit we are because mental illness knows no boundaries.
If attitudes are to change then politicians need to take a lead, children need to be educated as part of their understanding of health issues and a wider debate is needed.
February 11th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Well done, Jonathan. A real achievement.
If LCOs are surpassed, this may well be one of the finest moments of a curio of Welsh legislative systems.
February 13th, 2010 at 1:06 am
Its almost an intractable problem, the stigma of psychiatric problems which the media’s representation of has not helped the case. Having seen a number of people being open about their condition I certainly would not advise this ‘open-ness’
which is rather negative but I think ultimately less injurious to the individual as a whole when they recover.
February 13th, 2010 at 10:07 am
Mental health services in Wales are about a decade behind those in England where health and social services are, to a large extent, combined in one organisation. England and Wales have the same legislative framework. The answer, I am afraid, is not more legislation. What is needed is drive, leadership and political commitment to make the current system work better.