Journeys' beliefs

We believe that the promotion and protection of mental health and the prevention of mental illness should be at the forefront of the health agenda.

We believe that everyone has mental health needs and when those needs are not met anyone can be at risk of developing depression, a profound and sometimes life-threatening condition.

We believe that stigma and the prevalence of misconceptions about depression hinders the provision of appropriate services and resources and creates obstacles to people seeking help, resulting in unnecessary and unacceptable suffering.

We believe that people at risk of developing depression and the doctors who treat them are insufficiently aware of the warning signs and of the various non-medical early interventions that can be used to prevent the onset of depression.

We believe that those with mild-moderate depression are poorly served by doctors who too readily opt for antidepressants and sick certification despite a growing body of evidence for the ineffectiveness of these interventions for this group.

We believe that those with severe depression all too often fall into limbo between primary care services that are unable to offer further support, and specialist services that are configured to meet the needs of people with more complex mental illnesses.

We believe that the solution to the current problems with treatment lies in:

• Improved public awareness of depression and of mental health and well being
• Building the capacity for informal support at home and in local communities
• Much wider use of non-medical early interventions such as books on prescription, exercise on prescription, dietary advice, Computerised Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Investment in a wide range of services, including brief (problem-solving) counselling, condition management training, self-help groups
• Direct access to the full range of talking therapies and occupational therapy via primary care
• Greater liaison between primary care and employers/employment brokers
• Improved mental health training for GPs, practice nurses, practice managers and other primary care staff
• Greater liaison between primary care and specialist mental illness services in order to avoid inappropriate referrals

We believe that full recovery is possible for the vast majority of people affected by depression and can be achieved using a holistic approach, guided self help and the development of skills and strategies. We believe that recovery begins with a commitment to taking personal responsibility for your own health and well being.

We believe that people who have recovered from depression are ‘experts by experience’, and their views are vital to inform the development of new services, resources and treatment.

We believe that the two biggest untapped resources for promoting mental health and for sustaining recovery are people affected by depression and the communities around them. However, these resources are often unused because of the discrimination and stigma surrounding depression and because of the low expectations of service providers, journalists, voluntary sector organisations and political leaders – who have most contact with depression at the point when those affected are severely ill and least able to develop their personal potential.