Rob Smale says there are “two versions” of his life. He has been an award winning business coach and run his own consulting business – but he has also struggled with depression, been in and out of hospital, and made multiple attempts on his own life.
It has warned that a further 3.4m people are at risk of falling into a long term cycle, without action. The charity is urging the NHS, regulators and essential services to work together to improve preventative support for these issues, as well as a cross-government taskforce to step up prevention measures and implement a joined-up approach to money and mental health support.
“When you’re younger it’s easier to bounce back, but once you’re in your 40s or 50s that becomes more difficult. It’s eight years since I last woke up in hospital, but I haven’t really worked since,” he adds.“A lot of people in my group therapy are the same – we’re staring down a barrel of poverty and it’s hard to find a way out. We no longer have our own homes – I’m living in social housing – and benefits are just enough to get by.
Conor D’Arcy, interim chief executive at MMHPI, said: “The country is at an important crossroads. Continuing down the same track risks millions of us being sucked into the toxic cycle of long term mental health problems and financial difficulty. Not only would that be catastrophic for those affected, it would also be disastrous for the economy and NHS.