THE Deputy Prime Minister heard how poverty is having a devastating effect on people’s mental health, when he met Pembrokeshire charity worker Tracy Olin at a reception in London on Friday (February 6).

Tracy Olin, co-ordinator for Pembrokeshire Action To Combat Hardship (PATCH), was among those attending an event to mark Time to Talk day – a campaign that aims to ‘break the silence’ around mental health.

Tracy told Mr Clegg about the work PATCH does, and highlighted the stories of four clients who were living on ‘zero income’, surviving only thanks to the kindness of friends, families and their referral to PATCH.

“All four had mental health issues beforehand, which was partly how they had slipped through the net,” said Tracy.

Tracy, who suffered a breakdown 27 years ago, said her own experience had shown her the difficulties facing people with mental health issues, including how hard it can be to get help.

“When I was suffering I couldn’t stand up for myself at all, and if you don’t have a support network to do that shouting for you, you can end up with nothing,” she said.

“We see a huge amount of referrals from people with mental health problems, it’s a massive problem.

“The pressures of life, especially in the current economic climate, can bring people down big time.”

Tracy said services such as PATCH not only provided essentials such as food and clothes, but also served as a lifeline to people who might otherwise become isolated.

“We forget that listening is one of the most vital things we can offer people,” said Tracy.

“We need to keep mental health in the forefront, we need to take it seriously and realise it can be a life threatening illness.”

She said Mr Clegg, who has helped establish the UK’s first Mental Health Taskforce, seemed receptive to what she had to say.

“He seemed to be genuinely interested, and genuinely moved by the experiences I was talking to him about,” said Tracy.

“I think I showed him another angle, the link between poverty and mental health.”

Speaking before the event, Mr Clegg said: “For far too long mental health has been in the shadows and many people have suffered in silence as a result.

“It is time to turn a corner on outdated attitudes and bring mental health issues out into the open.

“It is time that the whole of society started providing the care and support to those with mental health conditions in the same way that they would to those with a physical condition.”

For more information about how you can help end mental health stigma, visit www.time-to-change.org.uk.