Serious mental health problems and the role of counselling

Bipolar Awareness Day takes place next week, as does World Mental Health Day, which this year focuses on schizophrenia. As such there is a renewed media interest in serious mental health problems and their treatment.

Nancy Rowland, Director of Research, Policy and Professional Practice at BACP, says:

"Awareness days such as Bipolar Awareness Day and World Mental Health Day are extremely valuable in highlighting important issues and we offer our support to the organisers of these initiatives and their efforts to draw attention to these serious mental health problems and the treatments available to those who live with them."

The role of talking therapies in the treatment of serious mental health problems is well known, with NICE guidelines on schizophrenia recommending that cognitive behavioural therapy should be offered to all people with schizophrenia and family interventions to all families who live with or care for someone with schizophrenia.

Nancy Rowland adds:

"Talking therapies can be hugely beneficial for people with serious mental health problems, and for their families and carers. On this important week for mental health awareness we offer our support to the work of Bipolar UK and the World Federation for Mental Health and join in their commitment to reducing the stigma of mental illness, increasing awareness of treatment options and encouraging parity of esteem between mental and physical health care."

Notes to editors

BACP is a professional body and a registered charity that sets standards for therapeutic practice and provides information for therapists, clients of therapy, and the public. We have over 44,000 members, working within a range of settings, including the NHS, schools and universities, workplaces and private practice, as well as third sector environments including voluntary, community and pastoral settings.

Find out more about Bipolar Awareness Day on the Bipolar UK website.

Find out more about World Mental Health Day on the World Federation for Mental Health website.

We are committed to providing prompt responses to media enquiries, drawing on our extensive member network of experts and spokespeople. For all media enquiries, call our media team on 01455 883 342, or email media@bacp.co.uk. For non-media enquiries please call our main switchboard on 01455 883 300.