Are users’ needs being met?

Consistent with the issues outlined by the statisticians, users of statistics and data expressed frustrations with the quality and availability of mental health data in Wales, citing issues with incomplete, outdated or unpublished data. They told us that it is very difficult for them to answer many of their questions in relation to mental health with the data that are currently available. They also felt that without reliable data, it is challenging to improve mental health services and address gaps effectively.

Users told us that often they look at data for England to get a proxy for Wales, but they acknowledged this is not ideal. Related to this, they expressed frustrations around surveys that previously included Wales but now are for England only, for example, the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey and the Mental Health of Children and Young People surveys that started during the COVID-19 pandemic. These surveys provide vital information on topics such as the prevalence of mental health conditions, socioeconomic inequalities in mental health, and the relationship between physical health and mental health, as well as issues such as self-harm, bullying and eating disorders in children and young people. Although data on many of these topics are collected for children and young people through the School Health Research Network’s (SHRN) Student Health and Well-being surveys, it may be that users are less aware of these surveys and so do not access these data.

Additionally, users told us that data are sometimes combined for England and Wales when it would be more useful to present separate figures. These issues all limit understanding of mental health specifically in relation to the Welsh population. There is a need for more Wales-specific data. Users told us that they do use data and statistics from other sources to help answer their questions, such as MIND, the Samaritans and non-official statistics publications from Public Health Wales.

Some users noted frustrations about data that are not published, such as internal ‘NHS 111 press 2 service’ data or management information collected by health boards. While they recognised these data may not meet official statistics standards, they believed that sharing the data could still help build a fuller picture of mental health in Wales.

Users identified the following topics for which data are either limited or simply do not exist:

• the prevalence of mental health conditions and trends over time
• demographics and the social determinants of mental health
• inequalities and mental health
• the link between mental health and physical health
• patient flow and what happens where
• data on people themselves rather than systems and services
• evidence of the effectiveness of interventions
• outcomes for individuals, both in the short term and over time
• the mental health workforce
• expenditure on mental health

Users told us that they need information on these topics to be able to better understand the full picture of mental health in Wales.

Users shared a range of experiences with Welsh Government statisticians: some highlighted positive interactions, while others expressed a desire for greater engagement or more clarity regarding points of contact. These insights suggest opportunities to further strengthen user engagement.