Half of British psychotherapists are turning away patients after cases rose by 10%, a survey reveals, as three-quarters see a decline in patient mental health.
- Half of UK psychotherapists have stopped seeing new patients, research shows
- Three-quarters of therapists said they saw a decline in patients’ mental health.
- 90% of patients’ highlighted financial concerns were due to health problems
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Half of British psychotherapists have closed their practice doors to new patients due to an unprecedented surge in demand, according to research.
In a survey of 3,000 mental health professionals conducted by the British Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy (BACP), it was also found that there has been a ten per cent increase in the number of overburdened doctors compared to last year.
Three-quarters of therapists surveyed said they had seen a decline in patients’ mental health since last year.
Nearly 90 percent highlighted patient concerns about finances as a key cause for this. Anxiety related to the Covid pandemic and the war in Ukraine are also factors.
Half of British psychotherapists have closed their practice doors to new patients due to an unprecedented surge in demand, research shows (file photo)
“People may have anticipated that mental health would improve this year as we come out of the Covid pandemic,” says Fiona Ballantine Dykes, deputy executive director of BACP.
“But as therapists we are seeing the profound impact that social, economic and global problems are having on the well-being of the population.”
Some two million Britons have regular psychological therapy, according to the Mental Health Foundation. Of these, 1.6 million receive support from the NHS.
Studies show that treatment, in which patients talk about their problems with a trained mental health worker, can be very effective in relieving symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems.
Official NICE guidance recommends psychological therapy along with antidepressant medication as standard treatment for most mental health problems.
Some two million Britons have regular psychological therapy, according to the Mental Health Foundation. Of these, 1.6 million receive support from the NHS (file photo)
The coronavirus pandemic increased the number of patients requiring support, with one in four therapists seeing an increase in eating disorders and a fifth seeing an increase in substance abuse, according to the BACP.
Last year, the number of referrals for NHS mental health treatment in England reached record levels.
Between January and December 2021, there were 3.3 million referrals to adult services and just over a million referrals from those under the age of 18, according to NHS digital data.
Overall, the number of mental health appointments increased by just under 15 percent between 2019 and 2021.
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