Tackling Antipsychiatry to Encourage Public Spending on Mental Health
- Jack Cunningham
- Feb 26
- 4 min read
While ongoing research continues to sound alarm bells that mental health diagnoses are consistently and dependably rising in the UK, this does not seem to have translated into panic and action, and one could be forgiven for thinking it has fallen on deaf ears. In the last 10 years there has been a 20% increase in the number of adults being clinically assessed to have a common mental health condition; in young adults the increase is even more stark, at 47% within the same period. This population are also increasing demand on mental healthcare resources, with the number of people accessing treatment for these conditions doubling since the year 2000.
Optimists might suggest the increase in diagnoses is evidence of a collective improvement in education and awareness concerning mental health conditions, and a shift away from historic stigma and shame. Pessimists might counter that this progress is not linear, and that the public’s knowledge of mental health conditions in 2024 regressed to the level seen 15 years previously. Cynics might take a view currently popular in the culture that this increase is due to a younger, softer, generation who would just as readily broadcast their mental health difficulties as their breakfast on social media. However, they might be surprised that 72% of 25–34-year-olds surveyed reported a reluctancy in discussing their struggles with mental health, compared to 28% of over 75s.
Whatever the cause, the cost is undeniable. Impaired mental health is estimated to contribute 20% of all disease burden in the UK- in England alone the economic cost is £300 billion. This figure accounts for loss of productivity, healthcare costs and ‘human costs’ of reduced quality of life and wellbeing. Despite this, the proportion of NHS funding on mental health care has fallen this year and is set to fall again next financial year, indicating that despite the seemingly worsening state it is not considered a priority for improvement by the government.
Increased spending in mental healthcare might not be immediately palatable to the public, despite spending on effective prevention likely saving on treatment later. To combat this, the government might employ the strategies below to reduce antipsychiatry attitudes people might have, such as a lack of trust or faith in the work of mental health services.
Raising awareness; reducing stigma
In general, prejudices that people hold are a result of a lack of experience with the entity they malign. In terms of mental health, people might be fearful, judgemental or dismissive of certain disorders because they have not had the opportunity to learn about and understand them. 46% of people surveyed said that people with schizophrenia should be able to “pull themselves together”, which contradicts so sharply with reality, it can only be concluded that these views are born out of a lack of exposure to people suffering with schizophrenia.
Education could be incorporated into high school curriculums, including video testimonials of people with lived experience of mental health disorders. This could be a relatively cost effective but far-reaching strategy that helps young people understand and develop empathy for those who suffer with mental health disorders. Similar resources could also be implemented in workplaces. If volunteers were available (perhaps through the Lived Experience Advisory Network), in-person question-and-answer sessions to allow a judgement-free environment for people to respectfully ask about things they are curious to know more about could begin to break down barriers of shame and ignorance.
Targeting misinformation and harmful depictions in the media
The power of entertainment media as a communication tool should not be underestimated, both in terms of its risk and its benefits. “Informative” videos of medical experts sharing their advice on platforms such as TikTok are unregulated and often designed to grab attention and generate profit. This has led to a spread of misinformation, with an estimated 84% of mental health TikTok videos found to be misleading and 14% to be potentially harmful, such as giving advice on medication. One way in which this might be tackled is enforcing unbiased fact checking on posts which can add context.
On the other hand, when depictions of mental health conditions on screen are made in a truthful, informed and engaging manner, they have shown the potential to not only make captivating art but to help people acknowledge these struggles within themselves. 1 in 5 adults reported feeling encouraged to seek help for a mental health problem after seeing a storyline in a TV show or movie that they related to. Government promotion of links between media production companies and resources such as Mind’s Media Advisory Service can provide writers, researchers and producers with information resulting in more accurate portrayals of mental health conditions.
Taking accountability and addressing previous shortcomings
The stigma of mental health disorders and the services that provide for them vary across different communities and are influenced by past practices that have been implemented in the name of Psychiatry. This variation, in part, is perpetuated by ongoing inequalities that certain minority groups face. For example, Black people are still more likely to be subjected to restrictive practices such as seclusion, physical restraint and rapid tranquilisation than white people. Homosexuality and transgender identities have been reconceptualised repeatedly in diagnostic manuals, which previously have labelled these identities as pathologies.
However, this reconceptualisation can be seen as hopeful, and a demonstration that psychiatrists are willing to review the evidence and grow with society. Admittedly this strategy would likely require an adept PR campaign to avoid producing the opposite effect of stoking anger and distrust towards psychiatrists and breaking down relations with these communities. In the long-term, owning up to past mistakes and showing a desire to improve would hopefully inspire more confidence in the speciality.
Education, honest media portrayal and accountability for past harms are not complete solutions, but they form a realistic starting point for reducing antipsychiatry attitudes. Together, they can restore public confidence and create the conditions for the investment that modern mental healthcare will undoubtedly require.
This piece has received the South London and Maudsley NHA Trust Training Programme - "Lade Smith Essay Prize"
