Cuts 'put mental health early intervention at risk'
Joe Lepper
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Public sector cuts are threatening to undermine early intervention work to support young people with mental health problems, according to NHS employers.
The NHS Confederation’s mental health network report found that NHS providers are having to merge early intervention in psychosis services with community mental health teams to cut costs.
This is leading to "a real risk" that the government’s drive to invest in early intervention services "won’t deliver", said the network.
The network’s director Steve Shrubb said: "This report sets out the rationale, the supporting evidence and the cost benefits of early intervention in psychosis services. It is one of the keys to improving mental health services and national mental wellbeing.
"The problem is that in these times of such intense spending pressures the incentives to invest in these services, risks being crowded out by much shorter term pressures."
The report says investment in supporting young people with mental health problems can help turn around lives and save money in the long term.
It adds: "Adolescence and emerging adulthood are a high-risk time for developing mental disorders; in England 7,500 young people develop an emerging psychosis each year. The early phase of psychosis is a critical period affecting long-term outcomes.
"Failure to intervene early often has huge significant personal costs in terms of an individual having reduced capacity to reach their social, emotional and vocational potential, as well as wider social and economic costs."
This is leading to "a real risk" that the government’s drive to invest in early intervention services "won’t deliver", said the network.
The network’s director Steve Shrubb said: "This report sets out the rationale, the supporting evidence and the cost benefits of early intervention in psychosis services. It is one of the keys to improving mental health services and national mental wellbeing.
"The problem is that in these times of such intense spending pressures the incentives to invest in these services, risks being crowded out by much shorter term pressures."
The report says investment in supporting young people with mental health problems can help turn around lives and save money in the long term.
It adds: "Adolescence and emerging adulthood are a high-risk time for developing mental disorders; in England 7,500 young people develop an emerging psychosis each year. The early phase of psychosis is a critical period affecting long-term outcomes.
"Failure to intervene early often has huge significant personal costs in terms of an individual having reduced capacity to reach their social, emotional and vocational potential, as well as wider social and economic costs."
