People with Mental Health Problems

Background 

Mental health problems can affect anyone, regardless of age, race, gender or social background. Mental health disorders take many different forms and affect people in different ways. Schizophrenia, depression and personality disorders are all types of mental health problem. Diseases such as Alzheimer's and dementia generally develop in old age, whereas eating disorders are more common in young people. (Source: NPHS website)
 
 

Policy Context

Raising the Standard - The Revised National Service Framework for adult mental health services in Wales was published on World Mental Health Day, October 10th 2005. This document updates the original National Service Framework (NSF) published in 2002.
Adult Mental Health is driven at policy level by the revised Framework which provides the service targets for Local Health Boards responsible for planning and delivering services.

Local authorities and local health boards are required to formulate and implement Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Strategies for their local area.

Every Health, Social Care and Well Being Strategy includes a comprehensive mental health component. For example: 
The aim of health gain targets and indicators is to provide focus and direction for improving health and reducing health inequalities in Wales. They take into account factors such as better prevention, earlier detection and effective intervention, the use of the best evidence on available treatments, and co-ordinated and appropriate services.

Intended to assist in the development of improved eating disorder services the Minister asked the National Public Health Service (NPHS) to produce a new framework for Eating Disorders.

This guidance is for all those concerned with mental health services within the NHS, social care and independent sectors.

The aim of this guidance is to provide advice and information on how to effectively involve people who use mental health services and their carers in the design, planning, delivery and evaluation of those services.

 

 

Mental Health Promotion Initiatives

Health Challenge Wales signposts members of the public to information or activity to help them improve their own health. It also engages with organisations to look after the health of their staff and customers. 
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a 2 day training course that originated in Australia and teaches people about mental health problems and provides them with skills to help people in crisis. 
The All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network is one of the Welsh Assembly Government’s flagship initiatives to help improve the mental health of the population. 

The Network's Interventions and Initiatives database provides information on a variety of mental health promotion projects from across Wales.

Services

Service Planning

This document was created by the Public Health Wales Observatory to assist local health partnerships with the 2006 round of health needs assessment in preparation for their Health, Social Care and Well-being (HSCWB) Strategies.

Service Delivery

 
NHS Direct Wales – Health Encyclopedia introduces and describes the services and facilities available and how to access them. 

Information on a range of local and national health, wellbeing and support organisations, including contact details and information about services offered.

The Wales Mental Health Primary Care Network was established to help promote and improve primary mental health care across Wales. 

Statistics

The Welsh Health Survey includes results of self-reported incidence of mental illness.

Data is presented on patients admitted to mental health facilities in Wales. Separate analyses are provided for NHS facilities and independent hospitals 
The Psychiatric Census covers patients in mental health hospitals and mental health units in hospitals which may have other specialties..
This is a survey of the health, development and emotional well-being of young people in Great Britain, also known as CPM (Children's Psychiatric Morbidity).  
The survey of the mental health of children and adolescents in England and Wales was carried out on behalf of the Department of Health, the Scottish Health Executive and the National Assembly for Wales
 
The All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network. In January 2009 Mind commissioned YouGov to conduct some research involving over 2,000 people
A data briefing on suicide and self harm published by the NPHS on behalf of the Wales Centre for Health, a member of the Association of Public Health Observatories. 

Resources

A report, ‘Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Mental Illness: the economic case for investment in Wales’ is published by the All Wales Mental Health Promotion Network. It calls for greater investment in mental health promotion and argues that this will bring economic advantages.

 
Map of Medicine Healthguides show you the ideal, evidence-based patient journey for common and important conditions. It is a high-level overview aimed at patients. The Map also provides a framework for creating localised pathways using modified or new content specific to a local healthcare community. The NHS Wales view delivers current evidence based clinical knowledge for professionals and requires Athens log-in. 

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance on promoting good health and preventing and treating ill health.

NHS Evidence provides free access to clinical and non-clinical information - local, regional, national and international. Information includes evidence, guidance and Government policy. It is primarily aimed at professionals and practitioners working in health and social care.

The NHS Direct Wales web page offers links to resources, publications and leaflets on a variety of Mental Health Conditions including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, self-harm and stress etc.