Solve Britain’s mental health crisis by offering treatment to TODDLERS to stop problems later in life, ex-minister demands
Former Health Minister Norman Lamb wants to see Government support for children as young as two - because mental health problems usually have their roots in early life
CHILDREN as young as two should have access to mental health treatment in a bid to boost the nation’s wellbeing, a senior MP says.
Ex-Health Minister Norman Lamb told The Sun that three quarters of mental health problems start in childhood – so the Government should offer support on young kids.
And he urged those suffering from mental illness to speak out – saying they could be pleasantly surprised by the support they get from their loved ones.
Mr Lamb, who chairs the Commons’ influential science committee, praised The Sun for our campaign You’re Not Alone – which encourages anyone affected by mental health troubles to get help, and gives them hope there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Speaking at the Lib Dems’ party conference in Brighton, he said: “So much of this is about confronting the stigma of mental health, I think particularly among men – suicide is the biggest killer of men up to the age of 50.
“So when you get a paper like The Sun coming out and talking about this, it’s quite a big breakthrough.”
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost - to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet, it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun ran the You’re Not Alone campaign. To remind anyone facing a tough time, grappling with mental illness or feeling like there’s nowhere left to turn, that there is hope.
To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, over the course of last week we told you the stories of brave survivors, relatives left behind, heroic Good Samaritans – and shared tips from mental health experts.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others.
You’re Not Alone.
For a list of support services available, see the Where To Get Help box lower down in the article.
Mr Lamb has seen close family members struggle with mental illness – his son Archie suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and his sister Catherine took her own life.
But he said he’s pleased that the stigma around mental health is now fading as society becomes more open about the issue.
He told The Sun: “Archie for years wanted to talk about it but he felt that it would damage his career if he did. And then the moment came when he decided to talk about it back in 2015, and he discovered that he was praised for doing so, not condemned.
“And that’s the big change I think. Every time a newspaper comes out and talks about it, every time a well-known person – Ruth Davidson for example – every time it happens, the critical thing is it makes it that little bit easier for another teenager to open up and to seek help.”
Mr Lamb added that when sufferers bottle up their feelings and refuse to talk about their condition, it creates a “vicious circle” which only ends up making them feel worse.
But he said there was a risk that the increasing openness about mental health risked putting even more pressure on overstretched public services.
The ex-minister called for greater investment in improving the country’s mental health – adding that it needs to be more closely targeted to help children from difficult backgrounds who are at risk of developing problems in later life.
He pointed out that 75 per cent of mental health conditions develop before the age of 18, but just 0.6 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on mental health treatments for young children.
Mr Lamb said: “A lot of children go through all sorts of trauma in their lives, particularly their early lives.
“It’s the biggest indicator of likely mental health problems in teenage years and beyond. So we need to be much smarter at intervening early.”
Some services have a waiting list of up to a year, he added – meaning many children don’t get the help they need until it’s too late.
He said: “We can be much smarter about how we spend money – but the Government is presiding over the cutting of funding for early years.
WHERE TO GET HELP FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
“The great prize is that if we got it right we would save the country a fortune. Just imagine a child who suffers abuse in the first two or three years, scars are then formed, psychosis develops in teenage years, they then leave school without qualifications, they go on to benefits, they then get into trouble with the law and they go into the criminal justice system.
“The lifetime cost of that failure is enormous, tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pounds. If we can actually stop these things happening in the first place, or support the child where it has happened, you can change that life course and save the state a fortune.
“This is not soggy liberal being nice to everybody, this is in the interests of the national economy.”
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