Baroness Nargund (Lab)

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Maclean, for securing this very important debate. While mental ill-health is rising across our society, the deterioration has been particularly marked among girls and women. I do not for one moment minimise the crisis in male mental health. The persistently high suicide rate among men demands urgent action and sustained attention. Today, however, I wish to focus on the mental health of girls and women. Around one in four women now experience a common mental health condition, compared with around one in seven men. Nearly one in four girls aged 17 to 19 has a probable mental health condition—more than double the rate among boys of the same age. Eating disorders affect more than one in five young women—four times the rate among young men. More than 30% of women aged 16 to 24 report having self-harmed. These are not isolated statistics. Together, they point to a profound and worsening trend. Many young women are growing up in an environment, where social media can amplify pressure around appearance, achievement and self-worth. Although technology brings many benefits, we cannot ignore the growing evidence linking excessive social media use to anxiety, depression and eating disorders, particularly among adolescent girls. I welcome the proposed social media ban for under-16s. Professor Fonagy’s interim report shows that young people now report higher levels of psychological distress than older adults, reversing historical patterns. We must also acknowledge the profound impact of violence against women and girls. Women who experience domestic abuse, sexual violence and harassment are at substantially increased risk of depression, anxiety and self-harm. For women, mental health is also shaped by factors that are unique to women’s health. Across the reproductive life course, from premenstrual dysmorphic disorder to the mental health impacts of menopause, mental health and physical health are inseparable. Pregnancy-related mental health problems affect around one in four women. Maternal suicide remains one of the leading causes of death between six weeks and one year after childbirth. Although awareness has improved, too many women still struggle to obtain a timely diagnosis and the support they need. The consequences extend far beyond the individual woman. Poor maternal mental health can affect infant development, family relationships and the long-term life chances of children. If we are to reverse the deterioration in the mental health of girls and women, services alone will not be enough. The true measure of our commitment to mental health is not how we respond when people reach crisis but how we prevent them getting there in the first place. People living in the most deprived communities are almost twice as likely to experience a common mental health condition as those living in the least deprived. We must address the social determinants of health: poverty, financial insecurity, loneliness and the erosion of community support. That requires more than increasing capacity; it requires a healthcare system that understands the causes of mental health problems, understands gender-specific presentations of mental illness and ensures that women are listened to when they describe their symptoms and experiences. I therefore welcome the Government’s commitment to community mental health centres, school mental health support teams and a neighbourhood health service. These are important steps forward. I ask my noble friend the Minister to ensure that the rollout of these services will be designed explicitly to address inequalities and that women’s physical health and mental health services are connected.