Mandatory Treatment for Depression for Those People who are on Benefits
14th July 2014
Senior ministers are considering making psychological treatment a mandatory requirement for those people with mental health problems who are receiving the employment and support allowance benefit.
Driving this idea is the attempt to reduce the number of people who are in constant receipt of benefits and who are unemployed but may be able to return to work. Combining psychological and vocational support services to achieve this is a promising idea. However, there are some serious concerns associated with making psychological therapy mandatory; the ethical considerations are undoubtedly questionable and furthermore, when the person is only receiving treatment because they have to, this may undermine factors which are essential for psychological treatment to be effective.
A series of pilot schemes are due to start, hopefully these will serve to highlight how psychological and vocational services could work together within an ethical context and with successful outcomes.
Telegraph: Tories discuss stripping benefits claimants who refuse treatment for depression