The British government released its new mental health strategy on February 2, 2011. The strategy’s overarching goal is to mainstream mental health, making it as important as physical health, both in terms of service delivery and how it is valued by individuals.
The document outlines a focus on promoting mental health and well-being for all and improving outcomes for people with mental health problems, and builds on an outcomes- and evidence-based approach. The authors also used a whole-of-government approach, involving partner organizations and multiple government bodies, to identify the document’s six high-level objectives:
- More people will have good mental health;
- More people with mental health problems will recover;
- More people with mental health problems will have good physical health;
- More people will have a positive experience of care and support;
- Fewer people will suffer avoidable harm; and
- Fewer people will experience stigma and discrimination.
See “No Health Without Mental Health: A Cross-Government Mental Health Outcomes Strategy for People of All Ages,” Department of Health, UK, February 2, 2011, available at www.dh.gov.uk.