CLARKE CARLISLE: ‘Our mental health system isn't working any more - especially for young people'

I'm fortunate to have five children in my life - my eldest is 27, my youngest is six years old. I listen to their hopes and fears, and we talk about these too, of course. Even so, I can’t fully appreciate what it feels like to live in a world that is changing daily; sometimes quietly, but often very loudly and quickly. The difference in experience between children is vast, my eldest speaking of the disconnect between her and her siblings, what chance have I got to stay in tune? But what is strikingly clear to me is how much young people are genuinely struggling. They feel unheard. Their views aren’t respected. Their suggestions dismissed. Major life milestones that may have been taken for granted in years gone by are increasingly, and continually, being moved further away. To see more of the coverage you value from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. Young people are growing up in a challenging world, and the increased need for support is not due to a ‘snowflake generation’ or a case of overdiagnosis. The Fonagy review shows our mental health crisis is very real, and it is on the rise. Put simply: our system isn’t working anymore, especially for young people. Let’s take some steps back here. Have we listened to young people when they tell us what support they need? Have we adapted as a society to open doors and offer it? No. Instead, we have drifted into a blaming culture, labelling people as “NEETS” (people not in education, employment or training) or “not resilient”. We have dismissed their problems as not being real or a social media fad – and not offered them any real support in how to handle them. The reality is that many are left stuck on endless NHS waiting lists and, as highlighted in the Milburn interim review, sometimes unable to do the things we perhaps took for granted, like pursuing education or finding a career. And it’s not just young people: the findings provide undeniable evidence of the scale of mental health challenges facing millions of adults too. Everyone, no matter what your experience or background, deserves to live well with independence and dignity. These reviews – Fonagy, Milburn and Timms – collectively paint a stark reminder of the range of very real problems facing people and should force us to confront what is and isn’t working in our current systems. There is real opportunity for action and change here. Take our mental health services, for example. Too often the doors to receiving necessary support and treatment will only open with a diagnosis. Yet the overdiagnosis narrative returns time and again, thinly papering over the fact that we're not asking why people are seeking a diagnosis in the first place. Right now, without a diagnosis (and let’s face it, sometimes with them too) people are waiting too long to be properly heard and understood. They are left bouncing around between different services instead of being directed towards the right support. By rationing services and gatekeeping support we are exacerbating demand rather than managing it - and people are becoming more and more unwell as a result. Yet if we listen to young people – really listen – and start from a place of genuinely wanting to understand their experiences and the challenges they face, then we are more likely to prevent a lot of this pain and distress and, ultimately, reduce demand so that the system can manage better. So, let’s use these reviews as an opportunity to do just that. We can use Fonagy’s findings to reimagine our mental health system so that when someone asks for help, they’re able to get it on the same day. This ‘open access’ approach might seem utopian but it’s already becoming a reality across the UK. Some local Minds in England and Wales are showing how open access support can work in practice - moving beyond symptoms to see the whole story and truly understand the support someone needs. Not only does this help people feel heard and understood, having the full picture can help to improve other areas of their life – from relationships and social life to their housing and employment situation. The Government’s proposals for 100 new community mental health centres and 59 dedicated mental health emergency departments are encouraging, and the beginnings of a more open access approach. We now need to take this a step further. This open access approach should be extended across the country and to every stage of mental health need, from early signs of distress through to severe and enduring mental health problems. We need our government to properly fund the mental health schemes and services that work, so that everyone can get the support they need. The announcement on the expansion of Young Futures Hubs, which will ensure young people can access mental health support earlier, is another welcome step in this direction. From here, we need to ensure that, regardless of what someone’s diagnosis is or even if they have one at all, people can access the right help from the day they need it. We are in a golden opportunity for change. With findings from the Fonagy review here, and a new 10-year mental health strategy on the horizon, now is the time to be bold and shift towards a same-day open access approach that will meet growing levels of need with timely, high-quality support. Let us honour today’s World Mental Health Day and continue to put a spotlight on making real change for mental health, moving beyond debates about prevalence and generate real change. We all have a responsibility to facilitate this – after all, our young people’s futures are for all of us.