In September 2025, we published our new five-year strategy for a mentally healthier future. It set out our ambitions for 2025-2030 and how we intend to pursue them. Each year, we will report on progress. This edition looks at the first year of the strategy: some of the highlights of our work, evidence of progress, the challenges we face, and our plans for the year ahead.
Three ambitions
Our vision has three overarching ambitions for a mentally healthier future:
- Our essential needs are met so we can all have better mental health
- We can all get the mental health support we need at the right time
- No one faces inequity or injustice because of their mental health
Our work towards achieving these ambitions involves building knowledge for better mental health, convening people and communities, speaking out about inequity and injustice, leading and supporting leadership in mental health, and learning and providing learning opportunities.
Select an ambition below for highlights of what we did, the evidence of progress, the challenges we’re facing, and our plans for 2026/27.
1. Our essential needs are met so we can all have better mental health
Actions, progress, challenges and next steps
Cross-government approach
What we did
We made the case for a cross-government approach to mental health.
What changed
Government promised a cross-government mental health strategy for England.
Next (2026/27)
Inform the strategy with evidence and advocate for effective implementation.
Challenge
Securing investment in prevention and embedding mental health in all policies.
Preventing mental health problems
What we did
We explored the evidence for what prevents mental health problems among children.
What changed
Wider recognition that prevention matters as much as treatment.
Next (2026/27)
Explore further aspects of prevention, including the digital world and workplaces.
Challenge
Rising prevalence of mental ill health is driving higher thresholds and longer waits for support.
Local and strategic authorities
What we did
We supported local and strategic authorities to implement evidence-based action.
What changed
Membership of our Mentally Healthier Councils Network continued to grow.
Next (2026/27)
Keep supporting councils, and explore the role of new mayoral strategic authorities.
Challenge
Financial challenges in local government are limiting scope for investment.
2. We can all get the mental health support we need at the right time
Actions, progress, challenges and next steps
Future minds
What we did
The Future Minds campaign focused on children and young people’s mental health needs.
What changed
The Prevalence Review and the Milburn Review into Young People & Work raised the profile of gaps in support.
Next (2026/27)
Use Future Minds economic analysis to identify priorities for the next Spending Review.
Challenge
Turning recognition into investment in effective interventions.
Individual Placement and Support
What we did
We delivered training and consultancy to expand IPS, helping people with mental health problems into paid work.
What changed
IPS expanded further into the NHS, substance use services and Connect to Work.
Next (2026/27)
Continue training and consultancy, and develop IPS-Y for young people.
Challenge
Making sure implementation stays faithful to the evidence as it scales.
Neighbourhood mental health centres
What we did
We evaluated the first six Neighbourhood Mental Health Centres.
What changed
Our evaluation helped inform the announcement of 100 new sites.
Next (2026/27)
Publish our full evaluation report and resources to support further expansion.
Challenge
Maintaining quality, and securing revenue funding as well as capital funding.
3. No one faces inequity or injustice because of their mental health
Actions, progress, challenges and next steps
Equally Well
What we did
Our Equally Well campaign focused on physical health equality for people with severe mental illness.
What changed
Wider recognition of the need for action across sectors, plus further research into different aspects of inequality.
Next (2026/27)
Build the evidence base of effective approaches and advocate for change, including in the Modern Service Framework for severe mental illness.
Challenge
Provision remains poor and patchy, with a risk of reduced access to annual health checks.
Racial justice
What we did
We worked to tackle racial injustice and inequity in mental health.
What changed
Implementation of the Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework in the NHS.
Next (2026/27)
Support anti-racism work across sectors, with further research and evaluation of promising approaches.
Challenge
Rising levels of explicit racism and discrimination in society increasing risks to mental health.
Gender and trans-inclusive support
What we did
We highlighted young women’s mental health and the need for gender-informed, trans-inclusive services.
What changed
The Women’s Health Strategy update included a focus on perinatal mental health support.
Next (2026/27)
Continue campaigning for gender equality, including for children and young people in the secure estate.
Challenge
Growing concern about the impact of the Supreme Court judgement on trans and non-binary people’s mental health.
