Just copy and paste this as an email or letter to your MP:
This is a letter demanding that the government works to flatten the mental health curve.
I am a resident of [XXXXX] and I - alongside CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably - registered charity number 1110621 Sco: SC044347) - am writing to ask that the <Your Borough> takes urgent steps to flatten the mental health curve for people in the UK.
The COVID-19 pandemic is one the biggest challenges we have faced this century. It’s changed the world as we know it. And though the peak of the pandemic may have passed, we’re already experiencing a knock-on mental health emergency, which left unchecked will lead to a national crisis.
The devastating loss of life, the impact of lockdown and the inevitable recession will have deep and lasting consequences on all our lives. An estimated half a million more people are likely to experience mental health problems as a result of the economic impact of the pandemic - people who are worrying about finances and jobs and wondering how they will put food on the table or keep a safe roof over their heads as the pandemic has taken hold. It’s vital that you act now to make sure we are all supported and together flatten the mental health curve.
The government’s strategy has always been focused on not putting people’s lives at risk. But if you ignore the spike in mental health struggles people are facing this is exactly what you will be doing. As a suicide prevention charity CALM know that prior to the pandemic 125 people in the UK were taking their own life every week. This is a situation that will only be exacerbated by the pandemic.
To ensure we have the best possible chance to flatten the mental health curve and stop a rise in suicides in the UK, CALM are demanding three things:
- Mental health is put at the heart of the policy and political agenda
- Investment in local mental health services
- Clear guidance, consultation and protocol to protect constituents most at risk at a local and national level
I welcome the steps that the Government has already taken to prioritise mental health, including a £5 million fund for organisations providing mental health support. However, this falls well short of meeting the scale of need.
Measures need to be put in place to create robust and stable foundations to make sure that the long-term impact of the pandemic on the nation’s mental health is not irreparable. We must all work together to make sure that we flatten the mental health curve.
The numbers of people affected are continuing to rise. We cannot - and we won’t - stand by and watch it get any worse. You can help to ensure that the society that comes after the pandemic is kinder, fairer and safer for everyone experiencing a mental health problem. But you must act now.
Yours sincerely,