Political

Tim Farron: ending the silence on mental health

Writing for the Huffington Post, Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron has spoken of his commitment to tackling mental health issues:

Mental health services are absolutely vital but tragically find themselves swept under the carpet all too often. This silence must end. It costs lives, divides our society and harms our young people. We must have the courage to open our eyes to the truth about mental health and act.

But I write this piece as a local MP, not as president of the Liberal Democrats. At my surgeries on a Friday or Saturday morning, I meet lots of constituents who talk to me about a variety of different problems. Those that stick with me are young people with mental health issues who have no idea where else to turn or how to get the support that they need.

There are then events that have a particularly profound and lasting effect on me – the deaths of young people who have struggled with mental health conditions. These tragic events and the circumstances surrounding them have brought to light serious flaws in the way in which we support our young people and the need for a fresh look at our local services. Improvements have to be made.

Well said.

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