We support the Connecting the Dots: tackling mental health inequities in Wales Report

The Connecting the dots report released in January 2023 by the Health and Social Care Committee sets out recommendations to Welsh Government for tackling mental health inequalities in Wales.​ We provided written and spoken evidence to the committee. You can access the final report here.
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Following this, we have now written the below letter to the Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, MS outlining our support for the reports recommendations.

If you would like to join us in signing this letter please clicking below.
Dear Lynne Neagle, MS,

In 2021 we launched our manifesto Building Back Better Mental Health in Wales. In it we made two fundamental calls; to eradicate the social determinants of mental health and to create an integrated poverty and mental health strategy. The Connecting the Dots report advances on these calls and lays clear the case to take urgent action on addressing mental health inequity.

A large majority of our brain development happens in the early years with 75% of relational health problems starting before adulthood.1,2 This means we need to get it right for families. To do this we must address the social determinants of mental health.

The well-meaning 1 in 4 mental health mantra suggests a random distribution according to the fate of our biology or personal resilience but this is not true. Our mental health is fundamentally about our social health.

It is largely shaped by the social, economic and physical environments in which people are born, live, work, and play. 3 The social determinants of mental health don’t just mean good housing, access to education, having enough money and good childcare. It is about our relational needs too; having safe and supportive relationships for emotionally healthy development with our family, friends, communities, and ourselves is key.

This means creating communities that are safe and inclusive of everyone who lives in them, whatever difference or diversity you have. Everyone should feel - I belong here.

In light of the above considerations, we the undersigned, call on the Deputy Minister of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Lynne Neagle, MS and the Welsh Government to implement the recommendations made in the Connecting the Dots report and take effective action to recognise and address the impact of trauma, tackle inequalities in society and the wider causes of poor mental health. This must be at the centre of Welsh Government’s new mental health strategy.


Yours sincerely,



  1. Dr Jen Daffin, Community Clinical Psychologist, Co-Chair of Psychologists for Social Change Cymru
  2. Dr Carly Jackson, Clinical Psychologist, Co-Chair of Psychologists for Social Change Cymru
  3. Dr Kiran Sidhu, Clinical Psychologist
  4. Dr Ruth Barrett-Naylor, Clinical Psychologist
  5. Dr Aimee Pudduck, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  6. Dr Clare Sanford, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  7. Rebecca Wilson, Trainee Counselling Psychologist
  8. April Lloyd, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  9. ​Cerith Waters
  10. ​Dr Rebecca Saltmarsh, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  11. Anne-Marie Paton, Graduate Mental Health worker
  12. Pol Vorozhtsova
  13. Claire-Marie Heaney, Head of Relational Practice, Platfform
  14. Alkiviadis Fasoulis, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  15. Thomas Hoare, Clinical Psychologist
  16. Jessica Morgan, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  17. Paige Latham, Trainee Educational Psychologist
  18. Anup Sen, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  19. Emma Johnston, Clinical Psychologist and Co- Chair of the Community of Practice for Children with a Learning Disability in Wales
  20. Sarah Huntley, Assistant Psychologist
  21. Dr Rosslyn Offord, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  22. Annie Mitchell, Clinical & Community Psychologist
  23. Libby Erin, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  24. Ewan Hilton, CEO Platfform
  25. Dr Naomi Swift, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  26. Jonathan Oliver, Clinical Psychologist
  27. Dr Ed Lord, Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing
  28. Dr Abigail Wright, Educational Psychologist
  29. Dr Nic Bowes Chair of the British Psychological Society Division of Forensic Psychology
  30. Tom, Community Organiser, Dim Yma
  31. Dr Matt Yates, Clinical Psychologist
  32. Dr Rosa Hoshi, Clinical Psychologist
  33. ​Dr Sarah Brown, Clinical Psychologist
  34. Dr Kellie Turner, Clinical Psychologist
  35. Anne Cooke, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  36. Peter Kinderman
  37. Siân Elrick
  38. Dr Iona Tynewydd, Senior Clinical Psychologist
  39. Susie Ackner
  40. Dr James Davies, Medical Anthropologist, Psychotherapist
  41. Bernadette Byrne
  42. Dr. Rachel Evans, Clinical Psychologist
  43. Dr Chris Hobson, Clinical Psychologist
  44. James Moore - Person with lived experience
  45. Sam Austin Deputy CEO, Llamau
  46. Anne-Marie Paton, Graduate Mental Health Worker
  47. Kirsty Matthews, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  48. Dr Kat Rayson, Clinical Psychologist
  49. Dr Lucy Johnstone, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  50. Dr Jayne Williams, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  51. Dr Greg Stocks, Clinical Psychologist
  52. Jo Watson Psychotherapist & activist
  53. Keri Smith, Headteacher of Millbrook Primary School
  54. Dr Kerry-Ann Holder, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  55. Ceri Alexandra Olsen - Trainee Clinical Associate in Applied Psychology
  56. Dr Nicki Birdsey, Clinical Psychologist
  57. Dr Gareth Davies - Clinical Psychologist
  58. Dr Jessica Taylor, Counselling Psychologist
  59. Dr Zoe Travers, Clinical Psychologist
  60. Dr Steven Stirk, Clinical Psychologist
  61. Dr James Tucker, Clinical Psychologist
  62. Dr Lynda Durell, Clinical Psychologist
  63. Dr Rona Aldridge, Principal Clinical Psychologist
  64. Almudena, Clinical Psychologist
  65. Professor Neil Roberts, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  66. Dr Hazel Barker, Clinical Psychologist
  67. Andy Lodwick Psychological Therapist
  68. Maisy Stockdale
  69. Tonia Mcginty
  70. Daniel Rowley
  71. Jon Fisher, Occupational therapist
  72. Harriet Davies, Clinical Psychologist
  73. Megan Edwards. Registered Mental Health Nurse
  74. Ruth Lewis-Morton
  75. Sarah-Louise Hurst, Clinical Psychologist
  76. Dr Megan Davis, Practitioner Psychologist
  77. Alexandra Dumitru Graduate mental health worker
  78. Dr Julia Lewis, Consultant Psychiatrist
  79. Dr Jet Morrison, Clinical Psychologist
  80. Lucy Keys, Psychological therapist
  81. Emma Walters Education Lead Coordinator
  82. Owain Groves, Graduate Mental Health Worker
  83. Dr Claire Russon, Clinical Psychologist
  84. Rachel Johnson, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  85. Laura Green Graduate Mental Health Worker
  86. Ffion Thomas
  87. Dr Harriet Collie, Clinical Psychologist
  88. Jess Ferdinando
  89. Simon Middlemas
  90. Abigail Seabrook, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  91. Dr Louise Evans, Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  92. Maia Sherbersky, Community Support Worker
  93. Loren Henry, CEO Urban Circle
  94. Jenny Murphy CEO North East Wales Mind
  95. Luke Alexander, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  96. Gemma Parker, Clinical Psychologist
  97. Dr Alison Smith Clinical Psychologist
  98. Dr Judith Storey, Clinical Psychologist
  99. Tonia Mcginty
  100. Mohamad Miah, Freelancer
  101. Onismo Muhlanga - Designer
  102. Mez Ali, Senior youth work
  103. Martha Sercombe, Clinical Lead for Perinatal Mental Health, Wales
  104. Dr Anne Darcy, Specialist Clinical Psychologist
  105. Dr Ella Rafferty. Consultant Clinical Psychologist
  106. Dr Carys Marshall, Clinical Psychologist
  107. Rachel McAleer, Speech and Language Therapist
  108. Dr Siobhan Moore, Clinical Psychologist
  109. Naomi Gaston, Forensic Psychologist
  110. Dr. Laura Coote - Clinical Psychologist
  111. Dr Graeme Karger - Clinical Psychologist
  112. Owen Lane, Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  113. Jenna Hill Trainee Clinical Psychologist
  114. Rachel Jennings - Specialist Mental Health Dietitian
  115. Sofia Rose, Psychological Therapist
  116. Laura Charles-Nelson MH Operations Manager
  117. Dr Catriona Matthews, clinical psychologist
  118. Ali Carpenter Primary Care Mental Health Practitioner
  119. Hannah Vaughan-Horricks, Occupational Therapist
  120. Miriam Fisher, Assistant Psychologist
​
Updated 13/3/23


References


1. Center on the Developing Child (2007). The Science of Early Childhood Development (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
2. Kim-Cohen J, Caspi A, Moffitt TE, Harrington H, Milne BJ, Poulton R. (2003). Prior Juvenile Diagnoses in Adults With Mental Disorder: Developmental Follow-Back of a Prospective-Longitudinal Cohort. Arch Gen Psychiatry ;60(7):709–717
3. World Health Organization and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. (2014) Social determinants of mental health. Geneva, WHO.