Rural mental health is a real challenge, which has been clearly exacerbated by the pandemic. This story tells us:
The “catastrophic” impact of the pandemic on mental health could wipe out years of progress unless there is a significant injection of cash, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said.
Psychiatrists have seen demand for care surge this summer, with referrals for people of all ages up 24% to 392,703 in June compared with 316,974 in June last year, new analysis of data reveals.
About 1.5 million people received NHS mental health support in June and many more are in desperate need of treatment, said Dr Adrian James, Britain’s most senior psychiatrist. The figures for June, the month for which statistics are most recently available, are the highest since records began.
Extra cash is now urgently needed to help a further 1.6 million people who are waiting for mental health treatment as more continue to come forward seeking help after a year of lockdowns, James said.