Centre for Mental Health

Public health service should focus on
mental health and offending,
says Centre for Mental Health

21 July 2010

The Government's proposed Public Health Service should have improving mental health and reducing crime among its major national priorities, the newly-named Centre for Mental Health said today.

In a policy paper published today, Public Health and Criminal Justice, the Centre concludes that offending and mental ill health often have the same causes and that Directors of Public Health will be in an ideal position to reduce the risks of both within their local communities.

Public Health and Criminal Justice, by Linda Seymour, shows that offending is a major public health issue. Directors of Public Health can take positive action to improve mental health within families to reduce the risk of later offending. They can also ensure that people who do offend are supported to get their lives back on track through opportunities for employment and by ensuring they have somewhere safe to live.

Linda Seymour said: "Almost all of the 200,000 people who go to prison each year return to their communities. Most have a range of mental health and related problems that are often made worse by their time in prison. Public health has a critical contribution to make to improve the health of people who offend and prevent future offending among current and future generations.

"Considerable resources are 'locked up' in the criminal justice system that could be used more effectively in supporting families, in improving health and in easing prisoners' transitions back to their communities. Reinvesting some of that resource in Public Health will offer great value for public money."

Centre for Mental Health joint chief executive Sean Duggan said: "Mental health and crime are significant public health issues. They carry a high cost in terms of lost quality of life and loss to the economy. There are proven ways to prevent them that public health practitioners are often best placed to lead. Yet they get much less attention than issues such as smoking or obesity.

"The new Public Health Service, led locally by Directors of Public Health, could bring a new start for public mental health. With the right outcomes in mind, the Government and public health professionals have the opportunity to promote positive mental health, to prevent social exclusion and to reduce crime."