Majority 'recover from mental illness'

The notion that people with mental illness can never adequately deal with their problems is false, a report suggests.

The mental health charity Mind interviewed people who had been diagnosed with various types of mental illness including depression, schizophrenia, manic depression and post traumatic stress disorder.

They found more than half (57%) of the 970 people questioned said they felt they had 'recovered', or were coping with some kind of support.

Aids to recovery

Talking to friends and family - 65%

Eating well - 62%

Working and volunteering - 56%

Hobbies - 54%

Physical exercise - 50%

However, among those people who felt they had made positive progress, 62% said the attitude of the general public was the biggest barrier to recovery.

And four in ten said the attitude of mental health workers was a problem.

Other barriers included low self-esteem (54%), the benefits trap and low income (50%).

Three-quarters of respondents who said that they were recovered or coping admitted there were still times when they felt unwell.

They coped by talking to partners, family or friends, or by visiting their doctor or psychiatrist.

One respondent told the researchers: "Last year my psychiatrist told me I was a hopeless case and I should need ECT, drugs and hospital admissions for ever.

"I now have a responsible full time job, take no medication, and haven't had a day off work in nine months."

Low expectations

I am proud to have made a comeback from what I thought was a life-sentence of benefits, social exclusion and loneliness

Survey response

Richard Brook, Mind's chief executive said: "Mental health is one of the few areas of health care in Britain today where the expectation of recovery is very low.

"Our findings show that recovery to users or ex-users of mental health services does not necessarily mean life is free from mental health problems, but they learnt to cope with them better.

"In the main, people used simple strategies, ones that we all use, to help themselves get through difficult times.

"Although many people with mental health problems know what help and support they need to start the process of recovery this survey shows people still don't get this sort of help quickly enough which delays recovery."

Mind wants the National Service Framework on mental health to include better information on effective recovery strategies.

It also wants the government to invest in a public education campaign focused on recovery and coping.