Yorkshire councils 'not spending enough' on mental health
Yorkshire's councils are spending on average less than 1 per cent of their public health budget on mental health.
Yorkshire's councils are spending on average less than 1 per cent of their public health budget on mental health.
Figures obtained by the charity Mind reveal the amount local authorities are investing in preventing mental health problems has fallen for the last three years - with some councils not spending anything at all.
“Our research shows that the current spend on public mental health initiatives is negligible," says Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind.
"This can’t continue. Prevention is always better than cure and ignoring the problem simply doesn’t make sense. Investment could stop people who aren’t unwell developing mental health problems in the future.
“One in four people will experience a mental health problem every year, yet so much of this could be prevented by targeted programmes aimed at groups we know to be at risk."
Mind obtained data from 13 out of 14 local authorities in our region.
In a statement, Rotherham Council told us: “We currently spend more than 1 per cent of the public health budget on mental health, above the regional and national averages.
"We recognise the importance of preventing mental health problems and recent work has included mental health and suicide prevention training for frontline workers, suicide prevention marketing campaign and funding for domestic abuse services.”
We asked Barnsley and Doncaster town councils for a response.
Data was not obtained from Sheffield City Council.