Developing mental health indicators in England

SummaryObjectivesThis paper reports on the construction of a set of indicators for mental health and the publication of a report for England's Chief Medical Officer. The report was the seventh in a series of reports aimed at initiating public health action to improve health at a regional level in England.Study designObservational study using routine data.MethodsA set of over 80 indicators was constructed by an expert group. These indicators were then populated from routine datasets. Commentary was provided on each indicator in the report.ResultsA small team compiled this large set of indicators from routine data working in a public health observatory in one region of England.ConclusionsIt is possible to produce a large array of indicators about mental health. The conclusion from examining these indicators is that there are many unexplained differences in mental health across the regions of England. Many of these indicators are closely linked to deprivation. Some indicators show a lack of difference across the country, and in many instances, service provision is inconsistent and does not always relate to need. In some cases, there was a worrying absence of data, e.g. data on ethnicity and the mental health of offenders.