Position Paper
Agenda: Adressing the growing mental health crisis and integrating health services into primary health
care
Delegation: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Committee: World Health Orangisation
Mental health is the state of well-being that influences our day-to-day actions. Taking care of the mental
well-being of the people of this is an international responsibility. Mental health is an intricate problem;
finding a set solution is near impossible. An estimated 1 in 8 people worldwide were living with a mental
disorder in 2024, a figure that has shown a concerning upward trend from previous years. More than
700,000 people die by suicide every year, accounting for 1 in 100 deaths globally. Globally, it's estimated
that 1 in 7 (14%) of 10-19-year-olds experience mental health conditions. The United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland recognises this and is dedicated to aiding the World Health Organisation and
its allies to help improve these statistics and bring forward a better world.
Since the beginning, mental health in the United Kingdom has evolved significantly. Historically mental
health was treated as a contagious disease through landmark legislation like the Madhouses Act of 1774
and the Lunacy Act of 1845. They attempted to regulate care, though conditions in asylums often
remained poor. The National Health Service did not initially include mental health as a core part of its
services until the "Care in the Community" movement gained momentum in the 1960s, aiming to
deinstitutionalise care. Henceforth, slowly but surely, mental health had begun and still is a huge part of
health care and is recognised by the government of the United Kingdom.
The NHS of the United Kingdom includes the NHS in England, Scotland, and Wales. (Northern Ireland
has a separate functioning body known as “the NHS” locally.). The NHS recognises that mental health is
as crucial as physical health. The NHS puts forward services such as community mental health teams
which provide ongoing support for adults with severe mental illness (psychosis, bipolar, etc.), integrating
therapy, medication management and social support; early intervention in psychosis services; dementia
and older adult psychiatry; specialist inpatient wards (acute psychiatric wards, secure forensic units,
eating-disorder units, mother-and-baby units, etc.); and mental health support teams (with new “education
mental health practitioners”) are being rolled out in schools to provide early intervention and liaison with
clinical services and more besides.
Unfortunately difficulties still remain, such as intense waiting times, workforce shortages, inequality, lack
of access, etc within the NHS, which the United Kingdom recognises. To battle such difficulties, the NHS
and government have introduced initiatives such as the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan (2023), which
sets out major expansions in training, for example, increasing mental health nursing training places by
93% by 2031/32. The 2024 autumn budget announced a £22.6 billion boost for the NHS over 2 years,
which intends to cut waiting lists and expand services. We work toward a future where availability of
mental health services is not an issue.
Mental health services throughout the world face interlinked challenges. Underfunding is a major issue,
with mental health often receiving a small share of healthcare budgets, leading to inadequate resources
and a lack of much-needed medications, particularly in primary care. Access itself remains a major
challenge, with financial constraints, long waiting times, and a lack of recognition with general healthcare
preventing many from receiving needed support. The stigma surrounding mental illness, both public and
internalised, further discourages individuals from seeking help. A shortage of trained mental health
professionals, along with uneven distribution and insufficient training in primary care, intensifies these
difficulties. Finally, concerns about the quality of care, including outdated practices, a lack of
individualised treatment, and poor coordination, undermine the effectiveness of available services.
Keeping that in mind, the United Kingdom proposes the following solutions:
● A study in New York and Wisconsin found an average reduction of over 43% in inpatient services
for clients receiving peer support. That shows how much impact peer support and talking to
someone of the same age can have. We should, using technology, create a platform where
people from around the world can anonymously share their problems and connect/relate to
people their age. Connecting with peers naturally expands an individual's social circle and
provides a greater sense of community, which ultimately leads to better well-being. This would
foster a positive environment where mental health is seen as a priority.
● People's fear of being labelled, ostracised, or misunderstood due to their condition often deters
individuals from seeking help promptly, which contributes to further worsening of their mental
health. We should create an organisation under the World Health Organisation which is dedicated
to relieving myths from the minds of people, myths like (which include but are not limited to) how
people should “try harder” or “snap out of it”. This organisation would create groups which would
go to underinformed areas and correct these misunderstandings. This would create a world
where mental health services are not looked down upon.
● Understaffing in the mental health sector has been a significant problem. To battle this problem,
we should create centres which would be internationally overseen by the World Health
Organisation. These centres would act as free colleges, which would entice young adults to join
the healthcare industry. These would be funded by the United Nations and donations and would
create a huge impact on the healthcare industry.
In conclusion, the mental well-being of us and others is in our hands. Mental illness is a pressing issue
which should not be taken lightly. The United Kingdom acknowledges the current problems in the
healthcare system and is putting in a tremendous amount of effort to solve those problems. While issues
such as underfunding, stigma, long wait times, etc. hover above our heads, we need to work towards a
future where mental health is valued and taking help is encouraged. Mental illness may seem like an
invisible battle, but with awareness, compassion, and support, we can create a world where no one has to
fight it alone.
Sources:
who.int
england.nhs.uk
nuffirldtrust.org.uk
theguardian.com
nami.org
mentalhealth.org.uk
mayoclinic.org
