Prime Minister Theresa May will today promise to eradicate the "completely unacceptable stigma" surrounding mental illness, outlining plans to use the state as a "force for good" and transform the way the issue is addressed.
In a speech in London this morning, she is to announce additional training for teachers to assess the mental health of children and teenagers, as well as a review of services and an increase in online services to help people check their own symptoms, reports Sky News.
The plan will target young people, with research showing that more than half of mental health problems begin to develop before the age of 14.
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According to government statistics, one in four people will experience mental health problems during their lifetime, at an economic and social cost of around £105bn.
Experts have been calling for increased funding in mental health research and treatment. Philip Timms, a consultant psychiatrist in London, told the BBC there was a long way to go to improve mental health standards.
He said: "Mental health is still very underfunded compared to other areas of medicine. It generates probably 20-25 per cent of the total disease burden, and yet the funding is ten-12 per cent in this country."
The Independent says May's speech "barely announces any extra cash to improve underfunded services", with just an extra £15m expected to be pledged for creating "places of safety". This amounts to about £23,000 per parliamentary constituency, it adds.
