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Mental health in the United Kingdom involves state, private and community sector intervention in mental health issues. One of the first countries to build asylums, the United Kingdom was also one of the first countries to turn away from them as the primary mode of treatment for the mentally ill. The 1960s onwards saw a shift towards Care in the Community, which is a form of deinstitutionalisation. The majority of mental health care is now provided by the National Health Service , assisted by the private and the voluntary sectors.
According to an investigation in 2018, the NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand for mental health care, with a shortage of beds, patients facing long delays in accessing treatment, and receiving inadequate care when they do. Areas of concern include support for pregnant women and new mothers; depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts in school-age children and adolescents; and the use of restraints on mental health patients.
The Minister of State for Mental Health, Suicide Prevention and Patient Safety, Nadine Dorries is responsible for Mental Health. Scotland has a Minister for Mental Health, Clare Haughey.