Policy and advocacy in England

Mental health problems are common across the UK. But this doesn't need to be the case, as many mental health problems can be prevented.

Our policy and advocacy work calls on national and local government to reduce the factors known to pose a risk to people’s mental health, enhance those known to protect it and create the conditions needed for people to thrive. We want all parts of government and our society to recognise their role in preventing poor mental health and working together to address its root causes. This means that we also work with many other organisations and individuals to help achieve our advocacy objectives.

Within the Mental Health Foundation, we work with our Research and Programmes teams to find out what approaches work to prevent mental health problems. Our research increases our understanding of the causes of mental health problems and what can be done to prevent them. Our programmes test new approaches to improving people’s mental health in our communities, working especially with groups who are most at risk of developing mental health problems. The work of these teams, combined with other evidence and our wider collaborations, help us to create evidence-based calls for change.

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