Mental health statistics: prevalence, services and funding in England and NHS Key Statistics: England, July 2023

Wasn’t sure where to post this because it has arguably relevance to so many areas for adults and young people. But handy for advancing vulnerable client’s rights social policy wise including vulnerable clients; appeals rebutting the Secretary of State’s approach that NHS services would be…......if client was that…..................etc etc

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn06988/ and https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7281/

Must admit I struggle and have always struggled with this specific set of statistics. Widely used and publicised and yet repeatedly subject to criticism as buried within them are significant amounts of very dodgy statistics indeed. Entire areas based on anecdote; self-reporting; GP classifications and more. Statistics in effect where there is considerable self-interest in reporting large numbers because it attracts funding for services and research. Of course it was ever thus but as a set this is data which is arguably unreliable and fraught with difficulties as there is no consistency at all and not too much in the way of accountability.

I find prescription trends more interesting/reliable. Such as the prevalence of prescribing large amounts of opiates and benzos in some areas compared to others.

If I was a GP I’d consider it a bit of a personal defeat if I was prescribing much of these, and it goes in direct contradiction of NHS guidance. Don’t think there would be much incentive to inflate these numbers.

Not sure they’re any more reliable tbh.

Within the same practice I have seen a GP prescribing like smarties and a colleague GP refusing in all cases. I have seen a GP make MH referrals in all cases and another point blank refuse and manage with zero to low level meds. Same geographical area so what does that tell us beyond all data in this area should be the subject of massive scepticism.

Individual data points are rarely valuable in isolation. Look at the grander scale and trends do emerge.

Of course a lot of this is accounted for by people with long term health issues ending up in the same (social housing) areas, and then you get “better” doctors congregating in wealthier areas, more alternative/private treatment available, and so on. Been a few years since I looked at these things, but I remember finding the research interesting at least.

EDIT: For that matter, regarding your example Mike: The stringent doctor appears to follow NHS guidance, but are there more of the smarties GP’s in certain areas?