Mental Health and Social Inclusion

Mental health problems deny people many ordinary opportunities. It has been estimated that someone with a serious mental health problem is four times more likely than an 'average' person to have no close friends. In a survey, 84 per cent of people with mental health problems reported feeling isolated, compared with 29 per cent of the general population. These barriers to basic social networks signal the wider social exclusion of people with mental health problems.

There is increasing understanding about the links between poor mental health and social exclusion. This paper explores these links and aims to add to the momentum for change, for good mental health to become 'everybody's business', as well as a core objective for social policy.