Campaign puts spotlight on underplayed mental health conditions

A six-week campaign is putting the spotlight on six often mistaken or underplayed conditions which can be treated by NHS Talking Therapies.

(c) Nik Shuliahin/Unsplash

(c) Nik Shuliahin/Unsplash

The initiative follows NHS survey findings that nearly three in five (58%) delay seeking treatment and support and one in five (21%) do not seek help at all for common conditions such as OCD, social anxiety disorder, PTSD, panic disorder, body dysmorphic disorder and phobias.

Dr Adrian James, NHS England's national medical director for mental health and neurodiversity, said: ‘This landmark new campaign is a critical step to ensuring that everyone struggling with challenging but very common conditions like anxiety and PTSD knows that there is support available to help them get on with their lives again.'

New analysis of NHS data shows that over 670,000 people were treated with NHS Talking Therapy care last year – nearly 70,000 more than pre-pandemic (12% increase on 2019) – with a record 83,000 accessing employment support through the service in 2025 to help them return to work (20% increase on 2024).

Yet around one in five adults in England (an estimated 9.4 million) are now affected by a common mental health condition – with the NHS' top mental health doctor warning that millions are still missing out on available support.

People can access NHS Talking Therapies through their GP or by self-referral at nhs.uk/talk.

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