Rising suicide rates show the mental health crisis isn’t about over-diagnosis – the failure to address it is causing misery
4 min read
It’s been almost 20 years since the launch of Time To Change, the campaign aimed at smashing the stigma surrounding mental health. Since then, awareness has grown significantly. A topic once spoken about only in whispers is now at the forefront of public debate.
And yet in 2025, the British suicide rate is higher than at any point in the 21st century. Self-harm has risen sharply and the prevalence of mental illness has increased across the board. We are not just facing a challenge – we are in the midst of a full-blown crisis.
Some say this is the result of over-diagnosis or greater awareness. But rising suicide rates cannot be explained away by social media trends or changes in how we talk about mental health. You only have to look at the situation in my constituency of Blackpool South to see that something far more serious is going on.
In Blackpool, healthy life expectancy is the lowest in England for both men and women – around 10 years below the national average. Poor housing, insecure work and entrenched deprivation have a direct and devastating effect on mental wellbeing. These issues show up every day in my casework.
Nearly half of those receiving PIP for mental illness are spending some of that money on private care
One constituent – a man whose son contacted me – had been waiting years for a hernia operation. The mental toll of constant pain and isolation left his family fearing he might take his own life. When people can’t get help for their physical health, their mental health suffers too. The two are deeply intertwined – and must be treated that way.
The charity Rethink Mental Illness found that people are eight times more likely to wait a year and a half for treatment if their condition is mental rather than physical. Nearly half of those receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for mental illness are spending some of that money on private care. In Blackpool, where people rely on PIP just to get by, this is completely unsustainable.
For six years before being elected, I chaired Counselling in the Community, a local mental health charity offering free or low-cost therapy. Thanks to an incredible team of volunteers and trainee counsellors, the service sees people in weeks, not years. The contrast with our overstretched NHS mental health services couldn’t be clearer.
Rather than pouring money into private providers, I’ve urged the government to invest in charities like this. They offer better value, know their communities and deliver results on a shoestring. Imagine what they could do with proper funding.
In 2022 to 2023, Blackpool had the highest rate of GP-diagnosed depression in the country, with more than 21 per cent of residents affected. There are more than 3,000 people in the town living with severe mental illness. These people have been let down by a system that hasn’t kept pace with rising demand.
More than 1.6 million people are on mental health waiting lists in England. Over 50,000 have waited more than a year. These delays have been normalised – but they shouldn’t be.
Earlier this year, I visited The Harbour – Blackpool’s modern mental health hospital. The facilities and staff are first-rate. But the 154-bed unit is oversubscribed and patients are often sent hundreds of miles away, adding to their trauma and straining families. At Blackpool Victoria Hospital, the knock-on effect is obvious – a 60-person A&E has at times held 188 patients, some waiting over 50 hours.
Most people experiencing mental ill health should never need a hospital bed. With proper investment in community care, we can stop crises before they escalate.
I welcome the government’s commitment to modernising the Mental Health Act – but legislation must be matched by funding and a real plan to transform services. Mental health must be treated with the same urgency as physical health.
The reality in places like Blackpool is already clear. It’s in the stories I hear every day. It’s time to stop patching up a broken system – and start building something worthy of the people who rely on it.
Chris Webb, Labour MP for Blackpool South
