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800,000 people die as a result of suicide. The mental health crisis needs your immediate attention.

Recipient profile picture Boris Johnson
i
17 November
Dear Boris Johnson,
I am writing this letter because the mental health crisis requires your immediate attention. One in four people will experience a mental health problem. Every year, 800,000 people die as a result of suicide. The coronavirus pandemic has seen an increase in suicide rates, particularly amongst children and young adults. Behind every suicide statistic is a mum, father, daughter, sister. Mental health needs to be put on an equal footing with physical health. I contributed to the coronavirus press conference on 30th April 2020. I wanted to put the spotlight on mental health. I asked you about suicide prevention and the measures you were taken to help people in a mental health crisis. I was not reassured by your response. The government are putting money into mental health care charities but that does not go far enough. There needs to be investment in mental health services. A shortage of hospital beds is leaving vulnerable people without treatment. I know from personal experience the devastating impact of mental health. My mum struggled with her mental health and I took time out after university to be a carer. I did not think of myself as a carer, I was simply a daughter choosing to look after her mum. In 2010, my mum lost the battle with her mental health. My mum was strong, loving and beautiful inside and out. My heart is filled with love, admiration and pride whenever I think about my mum. My mum’s death was preventable. My mum needed to be in hospital but there was no bed available. She was referred to the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment team and slipped through the cracks. If she had received timely treatment, she would still be here. I want to see reform in community mental health services. Community mental health care is inadequate. The system is broken and vulnerable people are overlooked. Community care puts pressure and responsibility on the shoulders of carers. The impact of being a carer impacted my mental health. The mental health of carers is often ignored. According to the Mental Health Foundation, 71% of carers have poor mental health and 55% reported that they suffered from depression as a result of their caring role. 40% of young carers and 59% of young adults say their mental health is worse since the coronavirus pandemic. There needs to be additional support for carers. The government needs to act now. Early prevention is important. The coronavirus pandemic will have a lasting impact on people’s mental health. There needs to be mental health support in schools and the workplace. If we reach out to people early, lives will not be lost. Researchers have formed the International COVID-19 Suicide Prevention Research Collaboration. The UK needs to be involved and represented in the collaboration. The prevention of suicide needs to be on the government’s agenda. What measures are you taking to prevent a mental health pandemic? A black cloud was hanging over my head following my mum’s death and I struggled with depression. It was a long road to recovery. There is no quick fix when it comes to mental health, but there is hope. In 2019, I went back to University to study for a master’s degree in International Journalism. Since I was a child, I aspired to become a journalist. I want to give people a voice, expose injustice and raise awareness on the importance of mental health. I am a mental health campaigner for Mind. I want to use my personal experiences to help people. My mum is a victim of the mental health crisis. I do not want anyone else falling through the cracks in the system. The theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day, set by the World Federation of Mental Health, is Mental Health in an Unequal World.’ I hope you will join me in eradicating the stigma and help save lives. I would be happy to discuss this matter further with you I look forward to hearing from you. Yours Sincerely

Katie Madden

Author profile picture Katie Madden

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