Mental Health

Narrative

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “A state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. [1]

Mental Health is a wide-ranging concept, the Faculty of Public Health and the Mental Health Foundation define mental health as a spectrum “from mental health problems, conditions, illnesses and disorders, through to mental wellbeing or positive mental health.” [2]

Living with mental health issues is not uncommon, nearly 2 in 3 of us will experience a mental health problem during our lives, and 1 in 6 of us is managing fluctuating levels of distress each week. If it’s not you, it’s your colleague, sibling or neighbour. This means that mental health problems commonly affect our lives, our families, workplaces, and communities, impacting everyone. [3]

As most people will have their lives impacted by poor mental health or wellbeing at some point, this may be for a shorter or longer period then we all need to nurture and protect our mental health and develop better resilience which is defined as “a person’s capacity to handle environmental difficulties, demands and high pressure without experiencing negative effects.” [4]

The cost of mental health problems is huge. The Mental Health Foundation and London School of Economics and Political Science estimate that the total cost to the UK economy (excluding dementia and alcohol and substance misuse) to be £117.9 billion annually. Much of this (72%) is due to the lost productivity of people who are living with mental health conditions as well as costs incurred by unpaid informal carers. [5]

Most mental health problems start early in life. Half of all mental health problems begin by the age of 14, rising to 75% by age 24[6]. Our mental health is shaped by many things our genes, our personal experiences and the social circumstances such as income, poverty, employment, discrimination, education, and community. The foundations of mental health are laid down in infancy in the context of family relationships[7].

Our mental health is a part of a person’s whole health, this it is intrinsically linked with physical health. People with a physical disability or physical health problem are more likely to experience a mental health problem, while people with a mental health problem are more likely to experience a physical health problem[8]. The understanding of the mechanisms and pathways through which mind and body are connected continue to grow but it is known that people with a mental health problem are more likely to have a preventable physical health condition such as heart disease[9]. Further people with severe mental illness such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, die on average 15 to 20 years earlier than those without[10]. Premature mortality for adults with severe mental illness varies by socioeconomic group[11].

Mental health problems are associated with many social factors including higher rates of alcohol and drug abuse, smoking, lower educational outcomes, poorer employment prospects and social disadvantage. These in turn increase risks of mental and physical health problems[12]. Those at greater risk of having poor mental health are often more likely to have difficulties in accessing support.

There is an ever-growing evidence base of what works and what cost effective public health and intersectoral strategies and interventions are available to promote, protect and restore mental health[13].

Mental health in Barnet

Prevalence and incidence: The prevalence of depression has increased in Barnet adults over the last 10 years, from 4.8% in 2013/14 to 10.8% in 2024/25. Current prevalence is just above the London average (10.3%) but still significantly below the England average (1.4%). Incidence of new diagnoses of depression has grown over the same period, reaching 1.4% in 2024/25 - this is similar to the England average and higher than London.

The prevalence of psychotic/bipolar disorder has also significantly increased, from 0.96% in 2012/13 to 1.11% in 2024/25 – this is below the London average and above the England average. In the younger population specifically, 3.6% of school students have social, emotional, and mental health needs in Barnet in 2024/25, and this is below the England average of 4%. In 2022, 1.9% of Barnet’s working age population was claiming Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment for mental health or learning difficulties. This rate varies at the LSOA level, and is highest in Barnet 010C (located in Brunswick Park ward) where 6.4% of the population are claiming.

Wellbeing: The percentage of people with a high anxiety score in Barnet hasn’t significantly changed since 2011/12, and is currently 25.2% (2022/23). This is similar to both London and England, as was the percentage of people with low happiness (9%), low satisfaction (12.2%), and feelings of low worthwhile (9.8%). 37.7% of social care service users aged 18+ in Barnet in 2024/25 felt they have have as much social contact as they’d like; this is below both the London and England average. The percentage of population who live in LSOAs which score in the poorest performing 20% on the Access to Healthy Assets and Hazards Index has more than doubled in Barnet from 20.1% in 2016 to 48.4% in 2024. This is much higher than the England average (20.9%) but still lower than London (58.5%).

Services: The rate of new referrals of Barnet residents to secondary mental health services has increased by over 70% between 2017/18 and 2019/20, though the rate remains below the London and England average. Referral rate is higher in women and those aged 65 and over in Barnet. The rate of inpatient stays in secondary mental health services has not significantly changed in Barnet since 2017/18 - rates are currently above the England average and below London.

There has been a significant increase in the rate of attended contacts with community and outpatient mental health services since 2017/18 in Barnet. Overall, the rate remains below the regional and national average. However, specifically in those aged 25 and under, the Barnet rate of attended contacts (40,000 per 100,000) is significantly higher than both London (34,1000 per 100,000) and England (37,200 per 100,000).

The rate of emergency hospital admissions as a result of self-harm in all ages has decreased significantly since 2010/11. The rate in 2023/24 is higher in females (70 per 100,000) than males (33 per 100,000) in Barnet, though the rate of admissions in both genders are significantly below the England average. Women also have a higher rate of hospital admissions for mental health conditions than men in Barnet in 2023/24, and overall the Barnet rate of 123 per 100,000 in those aged 18 and under is similar to the regional and national average

Quality and Outcomes: The suicide rate in Barnet has significantly declined since 2014-16. The most recent rate of 7 per 100,000 (2022-24) is significantly lower than the England average. Premature mortality in adults with severe mental illness in Barnet (76 per 100,000) is lower than both the London (107 per 100,000) and England average (127 per 100,000), though the excess under 75 mortality rate in adults with severe mental illness is similar to both the regional and national average at 357% excess risk in 2021-23.

70% of newly diagnosed patients with depression had a review within 10-56 days after their diagnosis in Barnet, which is above national average. This varies at the PCN level and in 2024/25 was highest in PCN 1D (75%) and lowest in PCN 7 (64%). Furthermore, 81% of patients with severe mental health issues have a comprehensive care plan in 2024/25 Barnet, in line with the regional and national averages. This was highest in PCN 2 (87%) and lowest in PCN 1D (72%). In adults in contact with secondary mental health services, 63% are in stable and appropriate accommodation.

You may also be interested in the Suicide and Self-Harm dashboard, please click here.

[1] World Health Organization. Mental health: strengthening our response. 2022 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response.

[2] Faculty of Public Health and Mental Health Foundation. Better Mental Health for All: A Public Health Approach to Mental Health Improvement. 2016 better-mental-health-for-all-final-low-res.pdf (fph.org.uk)

[3] Mental Health Foundation. No Health without Mental Health No health without mental health | Mental Health Foundation.

[4] Kinman and Grant, 2011Exploring Stress Resilience in Trainee Social Workers: The Role of Emotional and Social Competencies on JSTOR

[5] The Mental Health Foundation, The economic case for investing in the prevention of mental health conditions in the UK. 2022 MHF-Investing-in-Prevention-Report-Summary.pdf (mentalhealth.org.uk)

[6] Local Government Association. Children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health – facts and figures. 2022. Children and young people’s emotional wellbeing and mental health – facts and figures | Local Government Association

[7] Mental Health Foundation. Prevention and mental health report. 2019. Prevention and mental health report: Understanding the evidence so that we can address the greatest health challenge of our times | Mental Health Foundation

[8] Mental Health Foundation. Physical health conditions: statistics. People with physical health conditions: statistics | Mental Health Foundation

[9] Physical health and mental health | Mental Health Foundation

[10] Thornicroft G. Premature death among people with mental illness. BMJ, 2013; 346: f2969 Premature death among people with mental illness | The BMJ

[11] Premature mortality in adults with severe mental illness (SMI) Updated 2023 Premature mortality in adults with severe mental illness (SMI) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[12] Public Health England. Mental Health and wellbeing JSNA Toolkit. Population Factors 3. 3. Mental health: population factors – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[13] Mental Health Foundation. The economic case for investing in the prevention of mental health conditions in the UK. 2022. The economic case for investing in the prevention of mental health conditions in the UK | Mental Health Foundation

Further Information

Barnet Mental Health and Wellbeing services: a list of services and resources available for people in Barnet.
OHID Mental Health and Wellbeing Profiles: provide access to metrics that professionals can use to benchmark to meaningful comparison groups. The metrics are cover topics such as prevalence, risk and protective factors, and care provision.