Lengthy waits for mental health treatment leading to suicide attempts and job losses, new report reveals

Rethink Mental Illness’ latest survey of people experiencing mental illness reveals the devastating impact of lengthy waits for treatment, with a higher proportion saying they had attempted suicide while waiting for support in the last 12 months. 

The charity has published its Right Treatment Right Time 2025 report, which surveys people experiencing mental illness to provide regular snapshots of access to community mental health services. The 2025 report is being published as separate NHS data reveals a record 1.8m are waiting for community mental health treatment*, with someone in crisis detained every ten minutes last year**. Meanwhile, the latest ONS figures show the highest reported number of deaths by suicide since 1999.***  

This year’s survey of over 450 people experiencing mental illness or carers on their behalf paints a picture of worsening access to mental health support, with three in four (73%) feeling they did not receive the right treatment at the right time, up from 66% in last year’s report.  

Respondents were invited to share their stories of waiting for treatment. We heard from individuals who did not receive treatment for psychosis until they attempted suicide, lost work as they entered crisis and were hospitalised, and skipped meals to pay for private treatment for a loved one. 

The majority of respondents (83%) said their mental health had deteriorated while waiting for treatment, rising from 80% last year. The report highlights the devastating and often life-threatening consequences for people whose mental health had deteriorated due to lengthy waits: 

The report reveals that lengthy waits for treatment impact not just individuals and employers but also the health service, with nearly one in four (23%) phoning 999 or attending A&E as their mental health had deteriorated. 

An increasing number had requested a particular type of support but were told it wasn’t available, rising from 36% to 40%. Meanwhile one in five (18%) had turned to private treatment as their mental health deteriorated, while another 27% had explored private treatment but found they could not afford it. 

The government is currently prioritising cutting waiting lists in the NHS as part of its Plan for Change but has excluded mental health waiting lists from this drive, focusing solely on physical elective care. Previous analysis by Rethink Mental Illness revealed there were 12 times as many people waiting 18 months or over for mental health treatment than for physical health care.**** 

Mark Winstanley, Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness, said:  

“It’s truly devastating to see that a higher proportion of respondents in this year’s survey attempted to take their own lives as they waited for mental health treatment. Our findings show how lengthy waits for NHS mental health treatment cause untold pain and isolation, as people plead for help, self-harm, lose their jobs and make difficult sacrifices to pay for private care. Many people experiencing mental illness have had to fight for access to treatment over many years, and it is clear that they now feel exhausted and hopeless. 

“We recognise the government inherited a broken mental health system, but with a record 1.8 million people on waiting lists, it must rise to the challenge of fixing it and not let the situation get worse. Tackling mental health waiting times should be an urgent priority, with more timely interventions preventing people’s mental health from deteriorating at huge cost to the individual, the NHS and wider society. With the right support, mental illness is treatable, and the government has an opportunity to help people get their lives back on track. We stand ready to help the government achieve this.”  

Aga, 38, said: 

“I have lived with depression for many years, which I manage through medication and other tools I’ve learned, but towards the end of last year I experienced a more severe episode and knew I needed additional support. My GP was unable to support with a medication change, and so after being referred I waited months and months to see a psychiatrist. During this time I fell into crisis, had suicidal thoughts and struggled to work, and there were weeks when I couldn’t dress, cook, or leave the house. I was begging for help, only to be told that I was on the waiting list and there was nothing more that could be done. The GP surgery even actively discouraged me from seeking urgent help at A&E. I used the techniques I have learned, accessed some charity support and called the NHS 111 mental health line, but what I really needed was quick treatment by the community mental health team. I would never have sunk so low that I felt suicidal if I had received support at the right time.” 

ENDS