UK Mental Health Review of the Year 2010 - part 1

The background

Most years are momentous for mental health and 2010 has been no exception. 

Momentous for individuals experiencing mental health conditions or their onset.  Momentous for their family, friends and carers.  Momentous for the way that society, the legislature and the populace have chosen to respond to the challenge of mental health.

There has been a clear road, a visible highway.  The 2005 amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act  (DDA) have been taken further with the Equality Act that came into force on October 1st 2010. Carol Black's 2008 report 'Working for a Healthier Tomorrow' was a round-up and reinforcement of the initiatives embodied in DDA, designed to address key concerns of health and legal  rights in the workplace. 

The year 2010
Major businesses and business organisations have also addressed the massive loss to the economy and to human happiness that can be caused by mental ill-health. In 2005 the Confederation of British Industry was concerned enough to commission its own research.  Business owners and directors have not been slow to follow their confederation's lead.

Supported by business ‘dragon’ Duncan Bannatyne, Mind’s ‘Taking care of Business’ campaign continues to highlight the initiatives being taken by many employers around issues of mental health at work. Some of the companies who signed up to support the Mind campaign include EDF energy, BT, Hewitt Consultancy, AXA and police and security services. Hewitt Associates helped set up an Employee Assistance programme allowing staff access to counselling services where appropriate.

Anti-stigma group Shift is also 'high visibility' in its tireless campaigning for an end to mental health discrimination and in its promotion of understanding the need to support good mental health in the workplace.

Equality Act
The increasing awareness of how mental health affects culminated in 2010 with the Equality Act.  The Act reinforces all the implementations of  the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and in particular, the rights of employees who have disclosed a mental health condition.  Before the act came into force, employees had the legal right to reasonable adjustments in their working conditions where appropriate.  With the Equality Act, the burden of proof now lies with the employer to show that adjustments have been made rather than with the employee to prove they haven't.  It is a highly significant rights-based change.