GPs in England will be encouraged to intervene early if a patient presents with mental health issues. Services will be developed that enable people with mental health problems to recover their lives on their own terms, with a strong focus on age-appropriate rather than age dependent services.
The strategy will also highlight the importance of helping people get back into work to improve their mental wellbeing.
Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said: ‘Future governments must now use this vision as a baseline for developing better mental health services and creating a healthier, more productive society.'
Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, added: ‘Mental health needs to become a national priority and New Horizons is an important first step.
‘Without good mental health our relationships, jobs, and physical health all suffer. We need to get to grips with the financial and social burden that poor mental health places on the NHS and society as a whole, and the way to do this is by promoting the mental health of everyone.'
