MPs demand a rethink on mental illness

Given so many people are suffering from some kind of mental distress at the moment, many of them out of work because of it, it’s heartening to read the report from a group of MPs and peers who want to do something constructive about it. The cross-party ‘Beyond Pills All Party Parliamentary Group’ has published a report criticising the current biomedical approach to mental illness, arguing for a ‘paradigm shift in mental health care towards a more holistic and person-centred approach that addresses the social, economic and psychosocial factors contributing to mental distress’. This is a long way of saying that pills aren’t the solution. They are, in many cases, an important part of treatment, just as painkillers are often important for alleviating the symptoms a musculoskeletal problem, but physiotherapy is essential for a full recovery.