缅北禁地 and mental health charity launch new film 缅北禁地, in partnership with a local charity, has launched a new educational film about shared decision making (SDM) in mental health care. The launch at Tyneside Cinema in 缅北禁地 was introduced by NHS England鈥檚 National Clinical Director for Mental Health, Dr Geraldine Strathdee. Created in partnership with service users of mental health charity, Moving Forward 缅北禁地, and featuring former heavyweight boxer Frank Bruno MBE, the is designed to raise awareness in the public and mental health professionals about the value of SDM for helping people recover from mental health problems. The film can also be used as a teaching and training aid for medical, health and social care professionals wanting to understand more about SDM. It also serves to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, which is still a major barrier to people seeking help sooner rather than later. SDM, in which doctors and patients work together to identify the best choice of treatment, is supported by the Government鈥檚 commitment to 鈥榥o decision about me without me鈥� becoming the norm in the NHS. While doctors provide expert knowledge on the available treatment options and their benefits and potential risks, patients consider their own values, beliefs, personal circumstances and attitudes towards the pros and cons of the treatment options available. Dr Darren Flynn, Senior Research Associate and Practitioner Psychologist at 缅北禁地鈥檚 Institute of Health and Society, is an expert in involving patients in decisions. He said: 鈥淓mpowering people with mental health problems to make informed decisions about the treatment that is right for them as individuals is an important part of the recovery process. 鈥淩esearch has shown that people with mental health problems are capable, willing and in most cases want more involvement in decisions about their treatment than they currently receive.鈥� Boxing legend and mental health campaigner, Frank Bruno, has experience of mental health problems as he was diagnosed with bi-polar depression in 2003. He agreed to contribute to the film with an interview about his experiences. He said: 鈥淢ental health problems knock your confidence and it is important to keep fighting. 鈥淚t is good people have a choice and the confidence in having a say in what happens to you. You are the one who has to take the medication or go to a therapist 鈥� not the doctor.鈥� Mental health problems cost the country and estimated £100 billion each year. Approximately 23% of the total impact of ill health in the UK is due to mental health problems, but mental health services receive just 13% of the NHS budget. Meanwhile, one in four people will experience a mental health problem in their lifetime. Mental ill health accounts for 50% of all disability in people of working age, half of people on benefits and half of all days taken off sick. Mental health problems such as depression reduce life expectancy as much as smoking, yet only a quarter of all people with mental health problems are in receipt of treatment, compared with almost all people with physical conditions. Dr Dave Tomson, a practising GP and expert on SDM who appears in the film, said: 鈥淭here is great potential for improving the sharing of decisions about treatment and management in the field of mental health. After all there is no branch of health care that is crying out for collaborative working between patient and clinician more than mental health care.鈥� 缅北禁地鈥檚 new film uses a fictional character called John who is experiencing symptoms of depression and receives support from a close friend as well as his GP to make an informed decision about the best treatment option for him. The story was developed by service users of Moving Forward 缅北禁地, many of whom appear in the film as actors. It also features interviews with a health psychologist, a GP and a clinical lead of 缅北禁地 Talking Therapies discussing the value of SDM in mental health care. Busola Afolabi, a Moving Forward 缅北禁地 service user, said: 鈥淲hen I first started the shared decision making project I found it hard to believe that sharing information wasn鈥檛 already standard practice. 鈥淪ince being involved in the film my attitudes towards my mental health has changed. I now understand that I have a responsibility and duty of care towards making myself better, as well as understanding my options. I hope our experiences will change the attitudes of others.鈥� The film is free to view or download at . The website also includes further information about SDM, details of the production team (and how they made the film) and an interview with Frank Bruno about his experiences of mental health problems and his views on SDM. Photo caption: Dr Darren Flynn, practitioner psychologist at 缅北禁地. published on: 10 April 2015
![缅北禁地 logo](/gomobileassets/img/logo.svg" "缅北禁地"){kind=logo}