Nick Clegg: "Too much prejudice, too much discrimination" about mental health issues

[Jamsponge]

[quote]Nick Clegg has launched a strong attack on how the NHS treats mental health patients.

In a BBC interview, the deputy prime minister said it was "just plain wrong" to treat the illness as the "poor cousin" of physical health in the NHS.

There remains, he says, "too much prejudice, too much discrimination" around the issue.

Mr Clegg was speaking ahead of a major conference at which the government will unveil its mental health strategy.

A poll from the charity, Time To Change, highlights some of the problems faced by patients.

Its survey of almost 5,000 people with mental health problems found:

• More than half said that stigma and discrimination associated with mental health was as bad or worse than the illness itself
• More than a quarter waited for over a year to tell their family about their problem
• Nearly a quarter of young people said discrimination and stigma stopped them going to school

Mr Clegg said: "There is too much ignorance, too much prejudice, too much discrimination."

"We've got to take this out of the shadows."[/quote]
Source: [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25777429[/url]

I find it strange how people seem to think Nick Clegg does nothing. I'm pretty sure he's doing the best he can considering the Lib Dems don't actually have that many seats, and the Conservatives clearly aren't fond of them being around.

[Zonesylvania]

It would really, really help if people didn't stigmatize visits to a psychiatrist in case you feel you need help. One in four of us, at any point in our lives, suffer from mental health issues to begin with.

If you don't identify and nip these problems in the bud, you stand to end up with serious issues later that are quite avoidable if you just seek help quickly in the first place.

[Captain James]

Mental health is such a vastly important topic and needs to be researched and funded more. My older brother has schizophrenia and my younger brother and I have been placed on suicide watch in the past, there's a horrible misconception that you're irreparably broken or dangerous if you suffer from mental problems.

[A B.A. Survivor]

What exactly happens in a suicide watch?

[Invadernouga]

[QUOTE=A B.A. Survivor;43602198]What exactly happens in a suicide watch?[/QUOTE]

Somebody sits with you and is in arms reach of you, also watches you take a dump.