Tackling the wider causes of mental health problems must be part of the new Welsh Government strategy, according to a new Senedd Committee report led by Montgomeryshire MS Russell George.

Following a year-long inquiry, the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee report sets out 27 recommendations that should shape the next decade of Wales’s mental health strategy when the Welsh Government’s current Together for Mental Health strategy comes to an end this year.

They include actions to reduce poverty, new training in schools and public services, and cross-government coordination. 

The report says that “inequalities like poverty, housing, and discrimination mean the wellbeing of the population will not improve – no matter what mental health services are in place.”

The proposals were developed following expert testimony and the advice of an advisory group made up of people from across Wales with first-hand experience of mental health inequalities. 

Russell George, Montgomeryshire MS and Chair of the Senedd Health and Social Care Committee said: “Our mental health can’t be separated from our living conditions and circumstances - and it’s really important that mental health services take that into account.

“Anybody can struggle with their mental health, but some groups of people are at much greater risk, and this is often linked to inequalities.

“The new Welsh Government strategy is our chance to make sure we prioritise tackling the wider causes of poor mental health and addressing those causes, not just patching up the symptoms. 

“It’s also our opportunity to bring different services together to make sure everyone can get the help they need as an individual, not as a condition.

“The recommendations we’ve put forward set out a way to achieve those goals.”

The report, Connecting the dots: tackling mental health inequalities in Wales, recommends a mental health strategy that recognises inequalities in society are a barrier to improving the wellbeing of the population.

It asks the Welsh Government to detail what tools it has at its disposal to tackle those inequalities – and which are within the control of the UK Government.

It also calls for an independent review of the impact of the UK welfare system on mental health and wellbeing in Wales, and research into the effect of devolution of welfare policy could have on tackling health inequalities in Wales.