I recently picked up a copy of the March edition of Mature Times.
Your cover story with the story heading “No more ‘man up’. I would like to explain the current situation to you in my neck of the woods. Because the government does not class mental health as a priority, there have been massive amounts of cutbacks in mental health services in Nottinghamshire.
The current waiting time to see a counsellor is six months (if you are lucky), as I am a support worker of 5 years’ experience supporting people with depression and other mental health issues, I have seen a lot of changes and all for the worse.
Social workers who once worked a five day week are now working only three due to cutbacks. Mental health referrals are currently sky high and again, because of cutbacks there aren’t enough staff in the mental health areas to help everyone suffering.
Your article states “why aren’t men accessing information help and support?” Because there is NONE, what little there is in Nottinghamshire, they do their best but it is not enough.
Yes, there may be “phone lines” to help…great. What people need is face-to-face counselling, not talking down a phone. People want to see that they’re being listened to and understood. In my experience, people with depression need human contact, not a voice at the end of the phone.
Greg Tomlinson, Nottingham
