A report by a joint committee of MPs and peers said that the government should reconsider its proposals for the reform of legal aid, with more and broader exemptions from some proposals, to protect against breaches of the fundamental right of effective access to justice in individual cases. Recommendations included: that any residence test for eligibility be introduced through primary legislation to allow for full parliamentary scrutiny; that all children should be exempt from any residence test; for urgent reforms to be made to the internal prison complaints system; and that legal assistance should remain for young offenders, particularly for cases regarding resettlement. It also raised concerns about the impact of the proposals on people with mental capacity or mental health difficulties, and about the proposal to remove cases with borderline prospects of success from legal aid funding.
Source: The Implications for Access to Justice of the Government's Proposals to Reform Legal Aid, Seventh Report (Session 2013–14), HC 766 and HL 100, Joint Select Committee on Human Rights, TSO
Links: Report | Coram Children's Legal Centre press release | Guardian report
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined how austerity policies had affected health in Europe, and the response of European health systems to the financial crisis. Many governments had cut public expenditure on health sharply during the financial crisis. The consequences for health outcomes had begun to emerge, with an increase in poor health status, and rising rates of anxiety and depression among economically vulnerable groups. The incidence of some communicable diseases, along with the rate of suicide, had increased significantly. The recession had also driven structural reforms.
Source: GianLuca Quaglio, Theodoros Karapiperis, Lieve Van Woensel, Elleke Arnold, and David McDaid, 'Austerity and health in Europe', Health Policy, Volume 113 Issue 1-2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the relationship between health problems and unsecured debt. People in debt were three times more likely to have a mental health problem than those not in debt.
Source: Thomas Richardson, Peter Elliott, and Ronald Roberts, 'The relationship between personal unsecured debt and mental and physical health: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Clinical Psychology Review, Volume 33 Issue 8
Links: Abstract | Southampton University press release
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the impacts of the global economic crisis on European health systems. The recession had led to more frequent poor health status, rising incidence of some communicable diseases, and higher suicide rates. Available data were likely to underestimate the broader mental health crisis linked to increased rates of stress, anxiety, and depression among those who were economically vulnerable. Many European governments had reduced public expenditure on health services and introduced or increased user charges. Nonetheless the recession presented an opportunity for reforming and restructuring health promotion actions and taking a long-term perspective.
Source: David McDaid, Gianluca Quaglio, Antonio Correia de Campos, Claudio Dario, Lieve Van Woensel, Theodoros Karapiperis, and Aaron Reeves, 'Health protection in times of economic crisis: challenges and opportunities for Europe', Journal of Public Health Policy, Volume 34
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the association between ethnicity, social capital, and mental health in England. The association between ethnic density and social capital was found to vary according to the level of measurement of social capital, and differed across minority-ethnic groups. Social capital was not found to mediate the association between ethnic density and health.
Source: Laia Becares and James Nazroo, 'Social capital, ethnic density and mental health among ethnic minority people in England: a mixed-methods study', Ethnicity and Health, Volume 18 Issue 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
A paper said that mental health was the biggest single predictor of life-satisfaction: it explained more of the variance of life satisfaction in the population of a country than physical health did, and much more than unemployment and income. Income explained 1 per cent of the variance of life satisfaction or less. Depression and anxiety disorders affected about 10 per cent of all the world's population, with prevalence similar in rich and poor countries, and imposed major economic costs and financial losses to governments: yet even in rich countries, under one-third of people with diagnosable mental illness were in treatment. Cost-effective treatments existed, with recovery rates of 50 per cent or more. In rich countries treatment was likely to have no net cost to the government due to savings on benefits and lost taxes.
Source: Richard Layard, Dan Chisholm, Vikram Patel, and Shekhar Saxena, Mental Illness and Unhappiness, Discussion Paper 1239, Centre for Economic Performance
Links: Paper
Date: 2013-Sep
A report said that a quarter of the population in England had had experience of violence and abuse in their lives; and that such experiences were major and under-acknowledged factors shaping people's mental health and service needs.
Source: Violence, Abuse and Mental Health in England: Preliminary evidence briefing, National Centre for Social Research
Links: Report | Summary | NatCen press release | PHE press release
Date: 2013-Sep
An article examined unemployment rates in Europe among people with mental health problems before and during the global economic recession. Economic hardship might intensify social exclusion of people with mental health problems, especially males and individuals with lower education. Interventions to combat economic exclusion and to promote social participation of individuals with mental health problems were even more important during times of economic crisis, and these efforts should target support to the most vulnerable groups.
Source: Sara Evans-Lacko, Martin Knapp, Paul McCrone, Graham Thornicroft, and Ramin Mojtabai, 'The mental health consequences of the recession: economic hardship and employment of people with mental health problems in 27 European countries', PLoS ONE, Volume 8 Number 7
Links: Article | Abstract | KCL press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-Jul
An article examined the relationship between gender equality and depression by gender in Europe. A high degree of macro-level gender equality was related to lower levels of depression in both women and men. It was also related to a smaller gender difference in depression: but only for certain social subgroups, and only for specific dimensions of gender equality.
Source: Sarah Van de Velde, Tim Huijts, Piet Bracke, and Clare Bambra, 'Macro-level gender equality and depression in men and women in Europe', Sociology of Health & Illness, Volume 35 Issue 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Jun
An article said that the estimated impacts of childhood psychological health problems on adult economic life were severe, and substantially larger than the impacts of a wide range of childhood physical health problems.
Source: Alissa Goodman, Robert Joyce, and James Smith, 'The long shadow cast by childhood physical and mental problems on adult life', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Volume 108 Issue 15
Links: Article | Abstract | IFS press release
Date: 2013-May
A new book examined differences between rates of psychological disorder for men and women. In any given year, women experienced higher rates of psychological disorder than men.
Source: Daniel Freeman and Jason Freeman, The Stressed Sex: Uncovering the truth about men, women, and mental health, Oxford University Press
Links: Summary
Date: 2013-May
An article examined evidence from the Millennium Cohort Study on the relationship between fathers' involvement and the mental well-being of mothers, fathers, and children.
Source: Katherine Twamley, Ginny Brunton, Katy Sutcliffe, Kate Hinds, and James Thomas, 'Fathers' involvement and the impact on family mental health: evidence from Millennium Cohort Study analyses', Community, Work & Family, Volume 16 Number 2
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-May
An article examined the relationship between IQ and happiness, using data from the 2007 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey in England. Those with lower IQ were less happy than those with higher IQ. Interventions that targeted modifiable variables such as income (for example, through enhancing education and employment opportunities) and neurotic symptoms (for example, through better detection of mental health problems) might improve levels of happiness in the lower-IQ groups.
Source: Afia Ali et al., 'The relationship between happiness and intelligent quotient: the contribution of socio-economic and clinical factors', Psychological Medicine, Volume 43, Issue 6
Links: Abstract | UCL press release | BBC report
Date: 2013-May
A special issue of a journal examined public and media attitudes towards mental illness in England, and the effectiveness of anti-stigma campaigns. There was evidence of an improvement in general attitudes, and a reduction in the incidence of discrimination.
Source: British Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 202 Issue s55
Links: Table of contents | RCPsych press release | Time to Change press release
Notes: Articles included:
Sara Evans-Lacko, Claire Henderson, and Graham Thornicroft, 'Public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding people with mental illness in England 2009-2012'
Elizabeth Corker, S Hamilton, Claire Henderson, C. Weeks, Vanessa Pinfold, Diana Rose, Paul Williams, Clare Flach, V Gill, Elanor Lewis-Holmes, and Graham Thornicroft, 'Experiences of discrimination among people using mental health services in England 2008-2011'
Amalia Thornicroft, Robert Goulden, Guy Shefer, Danielle Rhydderch, Diana Rose, Paul Williams, Graham Thornicroft, and Claire Henderson, 'Newspaper coverage of mental illness in England 2008-2011'
Claire Henderson, Paul Williams, Kirsty Little, and Graham Thornicroft, 'Mental health problems in the workplace: changes in employers knowledge, attitudes and practices in England 2006-2010'
Sara Evans-Lacko, Estelle Malcolm, Keon West, Diana Rose, Jillian London, Nicolas Rusch, Kirsty Little, Claire Henderson, and Graham Thornicroft, 'Influence of Time to Change s social marketing interventions on stigma in England 2009-2011'
Sara Evans-Lacko, Claire Henderson, Graham Thornicroft, and Paul McCrone, 'Economic evaluation of the anti-stigma social marketing campaign in England 2009-2011'
Date: 2013-Apr
The Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013 was given Royal assent. The Act ended the ban on people who had had serious mental health problems from taking up public positions such as MPs, company directors, or jury members.
Source: Mental Health (Discrimination) Act 2013, TSO
Links: Act | Explanatory notes | Mind press release
Date: 2013-Feb