The Welsh Declaration for
Mental Health and
Well-being
“Defining a vision, inspiring
action”
In their St Vincent Declaration1, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) drew attention to the great importance of
diabetes and its impact on prolonged ill health and premature
death. The WHO has now recognised that today mental ill
health causes even greater levels of disability than diabetes and
other chronic physical illnesses. In the WHO Helsinki
Declaration2, European Ministers of Health acknowledged
this importance and committed themselves to action.
The Ministers said
“We endorse the statement that there is no health without
mental health. Mental Health is central to the human, social and
economic capital of nations.”
Mental ill health is a major and growing health problem at all
ages and in all cultures which causes early death and general ill
health. This has an adverse impact on our society and economy,
affecting us all either directly or indirectly.
Mental ill health increases mortality and morbidity and has
associated complications at an individual and public health level
that must be addressed appropriately if the aspiration of improved
health and wellbeing for the people of Wales is to be
realised. In addition to the poor chronic disease outcomes
caused by associated mental ill health, the complications of
obesity, addictive habits, medically unexplained symptoms,
accidents, unemployment, debt, poverty, relationship and
behavioural problems need to be recognised and tackled.
Wales has eight out of the ten poorest and most deprived health
areas in the UK 4 and some of the poorest health in
Europe 5. The connection between poor physical health
and poor mental health cannot be ignored. Mental ill health is
therefore a major economic issue in Wales. In addition to Designed
for Life, Wales also requires a primary care mental health and
wellbeing strategy if it is to achieve its aim of improving health
and social care in 21st Century Wales.
A Time for Action:
“Adopting Welsh solutions to meet Welsh
challenges”3
Wales must give formal recognition to the growing and widespread
problems of mental ill health and its relationship to general ill
health and deploy available resources to aid the recovery of body,
mind and spirit.
It is within the power of the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG),
working in partnership with health services, local government, the
voluntary sector, business community and educational institutions
to create conditions that will reduce the heavy burden of illness,
sickness, stigma and premature death caused by mental ill health
and to promote mental health and wellbeing.
Planning and strategies for the identification, management and
prevention of mental ill health in Wales have already been
formulated within the local, national and European context.
The time has now come for action to be taken which is long
overdue.
As individuals in Wales we all:
· Have a responsibility for our own and others’ mental
health and wellbeing.
· Need to be able to develop the
understanding and gain the skills so that we can recognise signs of
mental ill health in others and ourselves.
· Need to be able to access services easily that will
support recovery and empowerment, leading to the promotion of
independence and to the facilitation of self-management and
maintenance of mental health and wellbeing.
As members of society, the people of Wales must accept
responsibility within their own communities, workplaces and
families to address those relationship issues that impact on all
aspects of our day-to-day lives.
What is the Wales Mental Health in Primary Care
Network going to do?
“Gold Standards of Care for Primary Care Mental Health
in Wales”
In response to this call to action, the Wales Mental Health in
Primary Care (WaMH in PC) Network is drawing up a Gold Standards
Framework for Primary Care Mental Health in Wales. The
initiative at this stage is unique to Wales and its primary care
mental health services; the motivation behind its development is to
halt the current poor profile of mental health and thus enable
general practices and primary care services to have a sound and
effective framework for commissioning and providing services. The
Gold Standards Framework is about achieving consistent standards of
care and it is committed to leading the continuous improvement in
health and wellbeing through prevention, support and treatment to
ensure recovery and the maintenance of wellbeing.
We call upon others to work with us (WaMH in PC) to promote
· The mental health and general wellbeing of all the people of
Wales
(For more indepth information relating to this 'Standard of Care' please
click onto the link)
· Recovery through services that have the appropriate
values and evidence base.
(For more indepth information relating to this 'Standard of Care' please
click onto the link)
Research and development that will be directed towards
providing the evidence base for mental health and wellbeing.
(For more indepth information relating to this 'Standard of Care' please
click onto the link)
· Good practice by engaging with individuals and their
carers, as they are central to the relationship between service
providers and themselves in setting and shaping the services they
require. This will be achieved through partnership,
empowerment and personal responsibility.
(For more indepth information relating to this 'Standard of Care' please
click onto the link)
Person-centred approaches that acknowledge and value individuals
as people and give proper recognition to the therapeutic potential
of these interactions and relationships.
(For more indepth information relating to this 'Standard of Care' please
click onto the link)
We must work to gain the understanding, support and recognition
of these Gold Standards by our communities and colleagues.
The Standards will succeed only if the community adopts them. They
will need to build on the policies of the Welsh Assembly Government
and recognise the important initiatives that already exist in
Wales.
All this will need new ways of thinking and working, both inside
and outside our health services. We are committed to the
actions contained in this declaration.
We call upon local and national government, health
services, industry and business, the voluntary sector, schools and
educational establishments and others in Wales, to join with this
initiative and sign up now to this declaration.
To obtain a copy
of
'The Welsh
Declaration for Mental Health and
Well - being'
click on the highlighted
text
You can now register
your support for the Welsh Declaration. For more information please
contact: lhills@rcgp.org.uk
1. St Vincent Declaration. Diabetes
mellitus in Europe: A problem at all ages in all countries and
IDF. Saint Vincent, Italy, October 1989
2. Mental Health Declaration for
Europe. Facing the Challenges, Building Solutions. WHO. Helsinki,
Finland. January 2005
3. Designed for Life. Creating world
class Health and Social Care for Wales in the 21st Century. Welsh
Assembly Government. May 2005
4. Health Acorn Report CACI & TNS
January 2007
5 Better Health, Better Wales, Welsh
Office, May 1998
Wales Mental Health in Primary Care Network (WaMH
in PC)
February 2007