Accessibility & Affordability - What are the barriers to Mental Health Treatment?

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“Therapy is free in the UK so you should go” - a tweet I came across on the social media platform Twitter.

Therapy is an experience that most people can benefit from. It’s a unique experience, simply because once a week you are the topic of the room, with an experienced mental health professional who essentially acts as your sounding board and supports you to make positive changes for your mental health.

Read: Your guide to finding a Therapist

Finding a therapist, especially the one for you can be somewhat a challenge, but once you find the right one it can be supportive, challenging, and life changing. The tweet quoted above made me think and it made realised that whilst going to therapy can be life-changing, there are often accessibility or affordability issues.

It’s a known fact that 1 in 4 people in England will experience a mental health problem at any one time. By the age of 25, 75% of all mental health difficulties emerge. Unemployment, substance misuse, suicide, and anti-social behaviour can be linked to poor mental health.

Although mental health awareness is gaining traction, the stigma of going to receive help still remains. Over the years, the Government has seemingly tried to pump more funds into the mental health division of the NHS and tried to increase more skilled mental health professionals by developing the IAPT (Improving Psychological Access to Therapies) services. Research shows that young people, in particular, find it difficult to seek the help that they need.

In fact, working as a Psychotherapist has shown me that the struggle to seek help is amongst all age groups. It’s great the NHS offers mental health treatment, however across the board of children, adolescents, and adult services there seems to be a delay to receive treatment.

Whether it’s a mental health problem or wanting support to navigate the next chapter of your life, accessing mental health treatment has its barriers. It also has affordability issues, if you decide to go down the private mental health treatment route.

Public Mental Health Treatment Barriers

Underfunding

Under the Tory Government, public health services have faced significant cuts, mental health services in particular. Underfunding makes it difficult for there to be fully staffed services. Specialist treatments are being removed across the board, this prevents people from accessing the specialist treatment that they require.

Staffing

According to Mind.org.uk, Four in Ten mental health trusts, do not have the appropriate staffing levels.

Waiting lists

Waiting times to seek out mental health treatment are gradually becoming even longer than previously. I’ve heard that for adult services you may have to wait up to a year or 2 to be seen.

Only being offered gold standard treatment instead of alternative therapeutic approaches

CBT tends to be the first treatment option given when a person with a mental health difficulty seeks out support. CBT has often been promoted as the standard because its ‘evidence-based - and whilst it is, there are other treatments that are offered on the NHS. However you can seek out a clinician for Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and EDMR, however, the waiting list tends to be very long. Most NHS services may offer 6 to 12 sessions of CBT therapy, whilst this may work for some, this may not work for others.

Private Mental Health Treatment Barriers

So there are some pros to receiving private mental health treatment. You have more control over who you see and access to alternative therapies that may not be offered on the NHS. The number of sessions you have can be agreed upon during intake and reviewed at a later date. You can take your time to indulge in sessions without worrying about when your sessions will come to an end.

Finding a therapist & being overwhelmed

Finding a private therapist can be a little frustrating. You need to take into account fees, their specialism, gender, race, and their training. Many therapists moved online when the pandemic hit, and many clients tend to prefer face-to-face therapy. The search alone can feel overwhelming, but it is a process.

Affordability

Most therapists depending on where you reside will charge around £45.00 to £65.00 and for many, this may feel too expensive. However, some therapists offer sliding scales so its worth asking.

Other Mental Health Treatment Barriers

The stigma of mental health still remains, particularly in BIPOC households, therefore accessing treatment can be difficult in fear of bringing ‘shame’ or ‘fearing how other families will perceive them.