Date posted:
Mon 22 June 2020
Funding for mental health services in Merseyside must keep pace with increased demand to cope with a looming mental health crisis, a Liverpool mental health charity has warned.
Imagine Independence, which provides a range of services to enable people with mental health conditions to live independently, is predicting a significant increase in the demand for frontline services as lockdown restrictions continue to ease.
There has already been a 43% increase in urgent and emergency mental health cases since the end of March nationally.
Margaret Hanson, Chief Executive of Imagine Independence, said: “Investment in mental health services is now more important than ever to cope with the long-term mental health impacts of the pandemic.
“At Imagine we are very concerned about the impact of another period of austerity once the support measures put in place by the Government during the lockdown come to an end. In Merseyside, we have communities that have never recovered from ten years of austerity and further measures could be devastating for the mental health and wellbeing of many.”
Steve Jackson, aged 33, turned to talking therapy support years ago after suffering with poor mental health. Now he works as a Peer Support worker for the charity and says he has seen the direct impact of the lockdown on people he supports.
He said: “I’ve struggled with anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts in the past which left me unable to work for two years.
“It was only when I engaged in talking therapy and peer support with Imagine that I was able to turn my life around and gain the confidence to become a support worker.
“Since the lockdown I have experienced a relapse in my symptoms, as have many of the people I work with. Peer support is such an important way to help someone manage their mental health challenges and its so important that more is done to ensure that everyone that needs it can access help.”
Margaret Hanson added: “Our team is working with partners across the region to do all we can to support people facing mental health challenges. It is vital that resources for these services are prioritised going forward as the nation recovers from what has been one of the most challenging times for mental health that we have seen since the second world war. These are vital lifeline services for many people.”