Mental illness and poverty: you can't tackle one without the other | Dean Burnett

A recent report recommends dealing with mental illness before poverty, but this overlooks the fact that the two are fundamentally linked

A recent report by Lord Richard Layard suggests that "Happiness depends on health and friends, not money". The conclusions presented argue that the UK government should focus more on providing better healthcare and resources for dealing with mental health issues in a variety of societal contexts, rather than trying to combat poverty and make people wealthier.

For the record, I've no issue with Lord Layard, and I've no doubt that his intentions are honourable and intended to be helpful. It is also the case, without question, that the UK government should indeed invest significantly more in mental healthcare, given the dire state it's currently in.