Voxpop: mental health services in Wales

Vox pop: Do you think that there should be more of a priority put on the mental health services in Wales and should there be more support available?

Leigh Summerson, 23, Cardiff, Waitress

“My brother is paranoid schizophrenic and there’s been plenty of situations where we have rung the mental health line to get something done and they say ‘You’ll have to come back in three days’. He’s only 19 so anything could have happened in that time and because he is over the age of 18, my mum can’t force him to take tablets or for anything to be done because he’s classed as an adult, so I think the situation is shocking.” 

Ricky Amin, 27, Newport, Supervisor

“I think if they do need the help then they should be given the support they need. There has to be something or someone to actually help people out, I don’t think that just sending them home because there isn’t a bed will help them even more, there has to be something else that will help them out.” 

Sarah Connolly, 28, Cardiff, Trade union organiser

“The problem is that some people can threaten to do something but it’s not taken seriously until they’ve done it, so there needs to be support there to help them. It shouldn’t be about whether there is a bed available. There’s definitely a stigma still attached to mental health and because people don’t understand it’s an illness.”

Laura Jones, 18, Rhondda, Shop assistant

“ I don’t really know how much priority is placed on the mental health services but I definitely think it should be quite high. There needs to be enough support for people. It’s not just about the number of beds, it’s about help, support and anything else someone with mental health issues needs.”

Claire Leakey, 44, Penygraig, Lecturer at Bridgend College and nurse

“People go to their doctors and they are palmed off or not taken seriously, and also the counseling services or waiting lists are just not good enough. There’s just not enough people out there to treat people and at the end of the day, 1 in 4 people will suffer with a mental illness at some point during their lives so there needs to be more done to help.”

Jake Davies, 30, Roath, Optician

“Mental health should definitely be a priority. It should never be about the beds or to save money, they need as much support and help as possible and that means a lot of care available when they need it.”