Moving away from public support of psych drugs

from this report

Suffolk mental health bosses today backed a nationwide government investment in psychological therapies - and said it is heading in the same direction.

The government today announced a £2.2million investment for non-drug and talking therapies for people overcoming mental ill health.

It comes after the Suffolk Mental Health Partnership Trust announced in June that it was recruiting someone to head up its psychology and psychological therapies staff following the death of Ipswich woman Nicola Duncan, whose death is under review by the trust.

The 34-year-old's body was found at the Walberswick nature reserve days after being discharged from St Clement's Hospital, where she had been an in-patient treated for depression.

Robert Nesbitt, the trust's director of community engagement, said; “We've always had trained therapists, but we want to make sure we are working as effectively as we can, and develop this further.”

A recent survey of the trust's service users showed they wanted to have easier access to talking therapies to help them alleviate common mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and to elevate their self-esteem.

The government's investment pilot sites are a at Ealing, Stoke-on-Trent, Hertfordshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, Salford, Buckinghamshire, Brighton and Hove City, Dorset, North Tees and Hartlepool, Derby City, and Bury.

Mr Nesbitt said: “We will be watching these pilot schemes with interest, to see how we can bring their experiences to the benefit of the people we care for in Suffolk.

“Psychological therapies are becoming increasingly important, and indeed it is our experience that, in many cases, people prefer having the opportunity to talk to someone about how they are feeling rather than rely just on medication. It helps us get to the root of the problem and helps people move forward in their lives.

“Our new head of psychological therapies will be an experienced clinician who will provide a clinical leadership to doctors and therapists to help us make it happen. We're also starting to talk to GPs and to voluntary organisations to make sure our services are better coordinated locally.”