£170m boost for mental health

Health secretary Alan Johnson has pledged an extra £170 million to boost services for people battling anxiety and depression.

The additional funding will go towards an expansion of mental health therapies to ensure that such treatments are available UK-wide.

Studies have shown that psychological therapies can be as effective as drugs in tackling common mental health problems, and are often more successful in the longer term.

As many as six million UK working age adults suffer from depression or anxiety at any one time, resulting in a estimated 91 million working days being lost every year.

This equates to an estimated annual total economic cost, in sick leave, lost jobs and reduced output, of £12 billion.

National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) guidelines on treatment for depression and anxiety recommend therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy.

According to the Government, the new money - which will be spent over the next four years - will result in 900,000 more people being treated for depression and anxiety and an additional 3,600 trained therapists.

As the programme rolls out, all GP practices will have access to non-drug treatments for mental health problems.

Mr Johnson said: "More than one in six people suffer from mental health problems at any one time. For many people prescribing medication is a successful treatment but we know that psychological therapies work equally well.

"This announcement shows the Government's commitment to mental health. Improving access to psychological therapies will give people with mental health problems a real choice of treatment, helping to reduce dependence on medication."

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