Purpose

To endorse the Director of Public Health
Annual Report (DPHAR) 2023-2024 which addresses Mental Health in
Buckinghamshire

Content

Each year the Director of Public Health
produced an annual report on the health of the
population.  This year the report
focussed on mental health. The Director of Public Health Annual
Report 2022-23 described the factors that supported good mental
health, identified groups that were at risk of poorer mental health
and made recommendations for the Council and its partners to
promote mental health and well-being. The report was a call to
action for partners in Buckinghamshire, asking partner
organisations to reflect the recommendations in existing
multi-agency plans, for the Start Well, Live Well and Age Well
Health and Wellbeing Board Strategy.
 
Mental health was as important as physical
health for health and wellbeing. It underpinned people’s
ability to build strong relationships, to do well at school or in
our jobs, and shaped how people interacted with the world around
them. Good mental health often led to better physical health as
well as a reduced chance of dying at a younger age.
 
People in Buckinghamshire generally enjoyed
higher levels of good mental health and wellbeing compared with the
England average. However, good mental health was not experienced by
everyone, and many people experienced periods of poor mental health
during their life. Fortunately, there were many things we can do to
improve and protect mental health. There were also actions that
schools and organisations could take to support the mental health
of those who lived, learnt and worked in
Buckinghamshire.  These preventative
actions were the focus of the 2022-23 annual report.
 
The report did not consider the different
types of mental health conditions, nor did it cover treatment and
support for mental illness. These were important subjects that
would require a long and detailed report in their own right. Many
people with a mental health condition enjoy a good quality of life
and many of the preventative actions in the annual report may
support them, in addition to formal treatment.  The report further detailed formal research and
local data and mentioned that it was not surprising to find a
strong overlap between the factors that were important to children
and young people and those that were important in adulthood. The
things that affected mental health did not change as people grew
older. However, two additional factors become important as people
aged – the impact of retirement and increased risks of
becoming socially isolated.
 
While the factors for mental health listed
could affect everyone, some people in Buckinghamshire were more
likely to be vulnerable to poor mental health. National research
had demonstrated a link between poverty and mental health, and this
was evident in Buckinghamshire.  While
not all mental health conditions and disorders could be prevented,
individuals could take steps to improve their own mental health by
focusing on the protective factors listed in the report.
 
The report made a number of recommendations
regarding actions that schools, Buckinghamshire Council, the local
NHS and employers and voluntary sector organisations could take to
promote good mental health. These actions are grouped into five
areas:
1. Support our children, young people
and their families.
2. Encourage lifestyles that protect mental
health.
3. Provide opportunities for people to build
their social network, learn new skills and give to others.
4. Take action on
the things that increase people’s risk of poorer mental
health.
5. Encourage open conversations about mental
health.
 
RESOLVED –
 
That the Director of
Public Health Annual Report 2023: Mental Health be NOTED, and the
Council and partners be recommended to incorporate the actions
identified in the Annual Report into existing mental health action
plans and the Buckinghamshire Health and Wellbeing Strategy Action
Plan.