A recent Ipsos MORI poll indicated that almost four in five people believe the proportion of spend on mental health services should increase in the future; we explore why the public might hold this view.

1. Ipsos MORI
Mental Health

2. RECENT FIGURES ESTIMATE THAT MENTAL
ILLNESS ACCOUNTS FOR 23% OF THE BURDEN
OF DISEASE IN THE UK…..
…YET IT RECEIVES 13% OF TOTAL NHS HEALTH
EXPENDITURE

3. Source: Ipsos MORI/DH Perceptions of the NHS Tracker
31%
11%
10%
6%
5%
43%
46%
47%
27%
22%
4%
17%
15%
22%
20%
1%
6%
3%
10%
9%
20%
19%
25%
36%
45%
Very well Quite well Not very well Not well at all Don’t know
Children and families
People over 65
People with long term
illnesses or conditions
People with mental health
conditions
People with dementia
Base: Adults aged 16+ in England, Spring 2013 (1005)
Care for people with mental health conditions is perceived to be
worse than care for other demographic groups….
HOW WELL DO YOU FEEL THAT THESE GROUPS ARE CURRENTLY CARED FOR BY THE NHS IN YOUR
LOCAL AREA?

4. 4%
2%
2%
2%
2%
25%
22%
20%
18%
19%
45%
26%
38%
32%
33%
12%
27%
26%
26%
32%
1%
6%
4%
6%
4%
12%
16%
10%
15%
9%
Get much better Get better Stay about the same Get worse Get much worse Don’t know
Source: Ipsos MORI/DH Perceptions of the NHS Tracker
Children and families
People with dementia
People with long
term illnesses or conditions
People with mental health
conditions
People over 65
Base: Adults aged 16+ in England, Spring 2013 (1005)
…and few expect this situation to get better in the future
THINKING ABOUT NHS CARE FOR THESE GROUPS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS HOW MUCH BETTER OR
WORSE DO YOU EXPECT IT TO GET?

5. ALL THREE KEY PARTIES HAVE
OUTLINED THEIR PLANS FOR MENTAL
HEALTH FUNDING, SHOULD THEY
COME TO POWER FOLLOWING MAY
7TH
BUT WHAT DOES THE GENERAL
PUBLIC THINK ABOUT FUTURE SPEND
ON MENTAL HEALTH?

6. Base: Adults aged 18+ in Great Britain (514) 26th-28th April 2015.
Source: Ipsos MORI Political Monitor
The public support an increase in spending on mental health
services, regardless of their awareness of current funding levels
77%
17%
2%
4%
ACCORDING TO RECENT NHS FIGURES, MENTAL HEALTH
SERVICES RECEIVE AROUND 13% OF NHS FUNDING. IN
THE FUTURE DO YOU THINK THE PROPORTION OF
SPENDING ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SHOULD
INCREASE, DECREASE OR STAY THE SAME?
IN THE FUTURE DO YOU THINK THE PROPORTION OF
SPENDING ON MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SHOULD
INCREASE, DECREASE OR STAY THE SAME?
78%
16%
1%
5%
Increase Stay the same Decrease Don’t know
Base: Adults aged 18+ in Great Britain (496) 26th-28th April 2015

7. For more information please contact:
Anna Quigley
Head of Health Research,
Ipsos MORI
Anna.quigley@ipsos.com
+44 (0) 207 347 3996