Politicians and Therapists

We really do live in interesting times. The front page headline of The Observer on Sunday 8th March announced that the NHS was going to recruit 3,500 CBT therapists to help people to cope with the problems of redundancy.

A new book "The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better" by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett was reviewed in The Guardian on Saturday 14th March. The authors report amongst other fascinating information that sound epidemiological research shows that a quarter of the population of Britain and the U.S. are mentally ill at any one time and that compares very unfavourably with more equal societies.

CBT may help some people to relieve their symptoms and help them to adjust to their circumstances and I certainly would not argue with helping anyone. I wonder however if the government's "happiness czar" Lord Layard sees anger,sadness and fear as symptoms to be cured if only people would have the right thoughts.

Politicians may well benefit from some personal therapy to help them to recognise what really motivates them. Who knows they might even read the book about inequality and if they're really serious about wanting to serve the community etc. do something about it.

Certainly some of them will be able to experience redundancy at first hand in the not too distant future.