The Goals That John Is Asking the College to Sign up to Are

From: Bolton, Jim
Sent: 06 March 2014
To: Deborah Hart; Vanessa Cameron
Subject: RE: Launch

Dear Vanessa,

Thanks for asking for my comments on the World Federation for Mental Health ‘People’s Charter for Mental Health’ and my opinion as to whether the College should sign up to this. I note the email from John Copeland who is specifically asking if the College would sign up to the ‘WFMH Great Push’ by supporting the five goals of the Charter. He makes the offer that the final version of the Charter could note that the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the College.

I found the draft Charter to be wide-ranging its discussion of the impact of mental illness, from a social and cultural perspective. It then goes on to advocate that more should be done, with specific recommendations for individual international organisations.

Most of the content would be supported by the psychiatric profession, although I am sure that there would be debate over various details and opinions. As such, I don’t think that the College could endorse it as a whole, but would support the overall ethos andintent.

My personal view is that the document may be too detailed to have much impact – will busy people find time to read and digest? I also wonder if it has been overtaken by the WHO Action Plan for Mental Health.

The goals that John is asking the College to sign up to are:

To acknowledge the importance of mental health and well-being to all humankind; recognise the suffering of the untreated millions with mental disorders, their families and friends and tackle discrimination, stigma and indifference which prevent progress, by:-

1. Convening a United Nations General Assembly special session for mental health and the appointment of a UN special envoy for mental health.

2. Accepting that the five major noncommunicable diseases affecting world health are: cancer; cardiovascular disease; diabetes; respiratory disorders; and mental, neurological and substance use (mns) disorders; and their multidirectional interactions.

3. Ensuring that mental health and well-being are both recognised as essential components of the sustainable development goals (2015) as successors to the millennium goals.

4. Ensuring that mental health is represented on all disaster emergency committees. We also call for mental health services to be aware of the serious problems caused by economic disaster.

5. Ensuring that the WHO comprehensive action plan for mental health is implemented expeditiously by all countries.

Although these seem to be laudable suggestions, I am not sufficiently familiar with College and wider politics to know whether we would endorse such aims. If you and Sue think that they are acceptable, we could support the goals and ask John that the Charter includes a note, along the lines he suggests, that the rest of the Charter may not necessarily reflect College views. If we decide not to sign up, I understand that the College is a member of the WFMH, so there would be implicit support for the general aims.

I would be happy to discuss further if that would be helpful.

Best wishes,

Jim

Dr Jim Bolton

Associate Registrar: Public Engagement