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Medical chief in staff mental health treatment plea

Workers seeking treatment for mental health issues could be fast-tracked through the health system to prevent them having to take time off from work, the chief medical officer has suggested.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said the number of working days lost due to stress, depression and anxiety has increased by 24% since 2009, with the number lost due to serious mental health issues doubling.

The Department of Health's chief medical officer called on health experts to investigate whether or not it would be beneficial to speed up the treatment pathway for those who may fall out of work due to those issues.

Dame Sally said such a move could improve people's chances of staying in work.

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Costs of mental health to the economy 'astounding'

"The costs of mental illness to the economy are astounding," the Department of Health's chief medical officer has said.

The World Health Organisation model of mental health promotion, mental illness prevention and treatment and rehabilitation should be adopted in public mental health in England.

One of the stark issues highlighted in this report is that 60-70% of people with common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety are in work, so it is crucial that we take action to help those people stay in employment to benefit their own health as well as the economy.

– Professor Dame Sally Davies
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Medical chief in staff mental health treatment plea

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