Mental health sufferers 'still being failed' despite royals' Heads Together campaign

ICONINSIDER — Mental health sufferers are “still being failed” despite the efforts made by Prince Harry, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.
The royal trio have been campaigning to end the stigma surrounding mental health through their charity Heads Together – which was the named charity for the London Marathon over the weekend – but despite their best efforts, cuts to the budgets of mental health trusts are reportedly still leaving sufferers without help.
Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, told the Daily Express newspaper: “Despite the raised hopes following the royal princes’ recent campaigning for mental health and the London Marathon, cuts to services across the country continue and people seeking help are still being failed.
“A recent report found that 40 per cent of the mental health trusts in England had seen cuts to their budgets, and figures show mental health trusts received none of the extra £8 billion funding for the NHS over the last four years.
“The upcoming election revives the chance of committing more funds and ensuring they reach the frontline.”
Recently, Heads Together released a series of videos aiming to encourage others to voice their struggles after a poll released by the campaign found that men are less likely to talk about their mental health than women are.
One video featured comedian Stephen Fry – who has previously been vocal about his struggle with bipolar disorder – in which he talked to a psychiatrist about how “talking” about his mental health was a pivotal part of his “healing” process.
He said: “It was very difficult but it was ultimately the healing thing. Talking was really a very strong part of the healing.”
To which his psychiatrist Doctor William Shanahan said: “Most people aren’t very good at opening up and I think we have to, I certainly have to, to get people to feel that this is going to be a comfortable and helpful time for them. One conversation can make all the difference.”
Other stars involved in the series – called #oktosay – include model Adwoa Aboah, Rio Ferdinand and Ruby Wax.

Source: Ohmygossip.com
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