Diversity News, 17 December 2009
Jobseekers with mental health problems will be given more help to find and stay in employment.
New specialist coordinators and dedicated advice lines for small businesses are part of a radical overhaul of support.
The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions have published a strategy which will mean people with mental health conditions can rely on new support to help them manage their conditions so they can stay in work or get back to work as quickly as possible if they lose their job or have never worked.
The new support includes:
Mental health coordinators in every Jobcentre Plus district.
Nine occupational health advice line pilots to give small businesses in Britain the support they need to keep people in work when health issues arise.
Examination of the Access to Work programme to specifically help more people with mental health conditions to get and stay in work.
Mental ill-health is the most common reason for claiming health-related benefits and costs the economy between £30bn and £40bn through lost production, sick pay, NHS treatment as well as the personal and financial costs that result from being out of work.
The human, social and economic cost of mental illness is immense. One in six people have a mental health problem and it is the second most common cause of death in men ages 14-44.
Secretary of State for Health Andy Burnham said: “Life-threatening conditions like cancer or heart disease prompt sympathy and understanding. But mental health is all too often shrouded in mystery, stigma or simply forgotten.
“Depression is a huge public health challenge – it affects one in six people and causes one of the main disabling conditions in this country. Needless deaths from suicide are the second most common cause of death in men aged 14–44. We are determined to tackle this by bringing forward a radical new approach to mental health."