Mental Health

200 High Profile Figures Sign Letter Supporting Mental Health Campaign

By Deepthi B | Update Date: Nov 03, 2015 09:04 AM EST

Famed dignitaries and celebrities from all walks of life like such as the entertainment field, politics, sports, military, media etc have come forward demanding more attention to be given to mental health issues in the UK, reports the Irish Examiner. Almost 200 signatories have signed an open letter highlighting its importance and seeking substantial investment towards mental health services, rightly timed before the commencement of the government's spending review.

According to the Daily Mail, some of the notable high profile public figures who have signed the letter include Richard Curtis, Danny Boyle, Sam Allardyce, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, Miranda Hart, General Sir Peter Wall, Bod Geldof, Dame Kelly Holmes, May Beard, Archbishop of Canterbury and many more.

Reports by The Guardian said that the mental health campaign was duly launched in unison by Norman Lamb, the Liberal Democrats' former mental health minister, Alastaire Campbell, the Time to Change ambassador and former Labour government communications director, and Andrew Mitchell, the former Conservative cabinet minister.

The letter particularly stresses on the vital concerns related to mental health services such as the inadequacy of mental health care provision, prolonged waiting times, insufficient crisis care facilities, the dearth of access to treatment, usage of police cells, and the upsetting 20-year life expectancy difference between people faced by mental health patients and those who are not, reports The Guardian.

The open letter states the following as reported by BBC: "We accept, and urge ministers to accept, that this will require additional investment in mental health services, But we are strongly persuaded that sustained investment in mental health services will lead to significant returns for the exchequer, by reducing the burden on the NHS through the improved wellbeing of our citizens, by helping people to stay in, or get back into work, and by helping young people succeed in education.", reports The Guardian.

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