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SANE seeks to secure a better life for everyone affected by mental illness - the individual, their families and carers. From the outset, SANE has supported the concept of community care provided it is properly funded. But it requires a backstop of beds - whether in hospital or a 24-hour nursed unit - when someone is no longer able to cope on their own or living with their family. We have listed below our three campaign priorities for this, our fifteenth anniversary year:
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positive rights for service users, families and carers
SANE has pioneered reform of mental health law through its Balance of Rights campaign and called for positive rights for service users, families and carers. SANE wishes to see a duty to provide care imposed on services, and compulsion for service users minimised through early intervention and modern mental health services, medication and therapies. It wishes families and carers to be given sufficient information and involved in key decisions.
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A holistic approach to care and treatment
SANE advocates a holistic approach to care and treatment which takes account of the person's whole needs. Whilst medication can play an important role in helping people to cope with mental health problems, patients must be offered other therapies and treatments. SANE has campaigned for people diagnosed with schizophrenia to be offered the new 'a-typical' drugs as first line treatment.
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The lost concept of asylum
With the loss of 50,000 psychiatric beds and the failure to replace them with sufficient nursed beds and supported housing, we have lost the backstop of a place to go when a person is no longer able to cope on their own or living with their family. We have also lost the concept of asylum: a place of refuge that recognises that sometimes people may need time and space to relieve the from the multiple stresses they feel. To prevent the unacceptably high number of suicides in the weeks following discharge from hospital, SANE is calling for an initiative to give more intensive support to people at this time of great need.
Self Portrait, 13 June 1991 (above) is part of a unique series of images painted by artist Bryan Charnley, who had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Over the summer of 1991 Bryan made a deliberate attempt at self-investigation by using his art to express his changing state of mind under the influence of three different drug treatments prescribed for his condition. Sadly, Bryan died in July 1991 but he left us with an incredible insight into his thoughts and feelings.
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SANE is Limited by Guarantee:
SANE, 1st Floor, Cityside House,
40 Adler Street, London E1 1EE
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Copyright ©SANE 2000
Registered company number 2114937
Registered charity number 296572
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