1 in 6 people with mental illness 'receiving recommended treatment'

Only one in every six people who suffer with a mental health illness is receiving the recommended treatment, new research from a national charity shows.

According to Rethink, billions of pounds are being wasted each year on ineffective mental health services.

Some 400 people were interviewed for the poll, which revealed that most people who use mental health services are regularly missing out on the treatment they are entitled to, according to guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

Fewer than half of people with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are being offered NICE recommended psychological therapies, while only 47 per cent of people have been offered information about the side effects of medication.

Paul Jenkins, Rethink's chief executive, said: "It is critical that action is taken to bring mental health services up to the same standard as those available for other illnesses."

According to the Mental Health Foundation, one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year.