Policy guidelines of Mental health services

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Mental health problems are hard to define. They produce a multitude of symptoms and require a variety of treatments and solutions, which in turn may depend on the specific situation of the individual. This means that the organisations that provide mental health services have to be flexible, inclusive and accessible, and share information and resources.

The mental health services aim to improve the quality of life for people who experience mental health problems, and their carers. The Mental Health National Service Framework provides quality control goals and guidelines. Published by the Department of Health in September 1999, it outlines seven standards designed to:

promote mental health,
improve primary care (for example, widening the range of services available in GP surgeries and outpatient clinics, and providing extra training to GPs),
enhance the accessibility of services,
provide effective services for those with severe mental health problems,
recognise and support the role of those who care for people with mental health problems,
reduce rates of suicide, and
combat the discrimination and social exclusion associated with mental health problems.

Campaigns such as Mind Out for Mental Health, commissioned by the Department of Health, are highlighting this last standard. Many people who have experienced a period of depression, an eating disorder, or other mental health problem, find that they are not understood, not given the help they need, or are discriminated against. Mind Out for Mental Health and other groups aim to raise awareness, challenge people's assumptions, and provide practical advice to help people make positive changes in their attitudes and behaviour.