The UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) welcomes the Centre for Social Justice's report, 'Completing the Revolution: Transforming mental health and tackling poverty'

1 November 2011

The report highlights the need for better care in the community for those in poverty who face mental health problems, to be tackled through mental health services and provision and also at population, community, family and individual levels. Investment in other services in the community could benefit those in need, and UKCP support moves away from over-reliance on medicalisation and hospitalisation toward 'putting mental health at the heart of public health'.

The thinking behind care in the community could be seen as basically holistic, as it recognises the debilitating effect of institutional isolation on the individual of more medicalised care regimes. Our psychotherapists and psychotherapeutic counsellors who work with the most vulnerable groups in the NHS, third sector and occasionally in private practice (usually through low cost places) are aware that care in the community will only work effectively if practical support services are enhanced - not reduced.

UKCP agrees with the report's suggestion that there is a need for a more integrative system; this could be implemented by the NHS and other statutory provisioning bodies creating better and unrestricting pathways to engage at local levels with professionals and support workers who can and do provide hope through outreach, specialist charities and low cost work in order to reach the most vulnerable in our society.

We understand that the question and focus must be less on specific clinical approaches. Our accredited practitioners across traditions are expected to understand and work with the impact of the socio-economic and cultural dynamics of the clients or patients life and the meaning this has for the client. It is about personal empowerment or the vulnerable having access to those who can advocate on their behalf.

Andrew Samuels, Chair of UKCP comments that: 'The contribution of psychotherapy in cases where there is a mixture of social and economic deprivation plus serious emotional and relationship difficulties should not be overlooked. Of course, exploration of personal issues at depth cannot in and of itself solve housing or financial crises - but one of the core approaches of psychotherapy is that, by looking at what it is that holds them back, clients can become much more able to take control of their lives. And, even if they do not, the input from a trained psychotherapist (or counsellor) is still extremely useful. Many psychotherapists have experience of working in multi-disciplinary settings together with their medical and social services colleagues.'

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