The National Health System (NHS) of the United Kingdom has long been considered the jewel in the crown of the welfare state.
The largest employer in Europe, it has more than a million employees and guarantees millions of people almost free access to care and a fairly homogeneous service throughout the country.
In recent years, even citizens of the United Kingdom have witnessed the evident ‘cuts’ to hospital services, to the detriment of prevention programs, and the suspension of non-essential services during the Covid emergency.
However, among European countries that manage to guarantee access to care for the entire population, the British National Health System stands out for its cutting-edge projects in the field of mental health protection, not only with regard to intervention for psychiatric pathologies but also for minor disorders.
Overall, in the UK the resources allocated to mental health in the public sector are substantial and accessible.
First of all, attention is paid to disadvantaged categories, in particular with regard to family relational problems such as violence and abuse, child neglect and, in general, the area of psychological trauma.
But free psychological support is also accessible to new mothers and, in general, to all citizens who are diagnosed with disorders such as depression and recurrent states of anxiety.
Since its establishment in 2005, the program has continued to be funded by government funds and private funds alike with the aim to overcome those problems that plague many public health systems: poor accessibility and long waiting times due to a low number of therapists in the public service, and the financial difficulty for many to be able to afford private visits.
According to the UK statistics, mental illness accounts for 40% of all disabilities and is responsible for 40% of absenteeism at work.
Its overall cost to the economy is around £70 billion, of which around half is borne by taxpayers.
General Practitioners (GPs) have the task of giving patients information on mental health and prevention through pamphlets.
With regards to women who are facing a pregnancy, the presence of the midwife also has a moral support function.
In fact, she will be the one to put the woman in contact with a professional in case of psychological distress or postpartum depression.
In general, once the psychological support path has started, great importance is given to the integrated structure between the professionals, through constant communication between the psychotherapist or psychologist and the GP.
In recent years, in case of emergency it is also possible to contact public psychological assistance directly - without consulting the GP - by contacting the center closest to where you live in this way trying to guarantee a response to the request for help as quickly as possible.
In support of the public system, in the UK there are also many associations (charities) that deal with mental health which have activated emergency numbers and also operate through phone calls or instant messaging apps to deal with emergencies.
Today, following the cuts to healthcare and the post Covid emergency, the services provided by the NHS continue to be free, but the waiting times to start a real psychotherapy path can be very long.
However, the British NHS remains a model to which many can only aspire and the resources dedicated to mental health in our country demonstrate that Italy is still far from this goal.
And it is not just a lack of economic resources, but mainly the lack of fertile ground capable of breaking down stereotypes and making room for expanding access to psychological therapies with a real look at the mental health status of the population and the need to make psychological well-being a priority.
