Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Office for Health Promotion: Mindfulness

Tuesday 8 June 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Office for Health Promotion is working on scope and organizational design.
  • Public Health England's campaign "Better Health-Every Mind Matters" aims to educate the public on mental health.
  • Emerging evidence suggests mindfulness can benefit mental health, though NHS handles mental illness with clinical interventions.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Margaret Ferrier SNP
NHS
Context

The question arises from a discussion on the government's plans to promote mental and physical health through mindfulness.

Question

What steps the Office for Health Promotion plans to take to promote mindfulness in supporting good health.

Answer from Nadine Dorries

Work on the scope and organisation design of the Office for Health Promotion is ongoing. We will present more detail on our plans for the OHP in due course. Public Health England's “Better Health—Every Mind Matters” social marketing campaign aims to inform and equip the public to look after their mental health. Its NHS-endorsed website offers guidance on actions people can take to improve mental wellbeing, including mindfulness and reflection.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific steps or strategies for promoting mindfulness were not detailed.

How: Work Is Ongoing, We Will Present More Detail In Due Course

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Q2 Margaret Ferrier SNP
NHS Mental Health
Context

The question stems from evidence showing that mindfulness can help with obesity, eating behaviors, addiction, mental health, and wellbeing.

Question

Research shows that mindfulness training can contribute to improvements in obesity, eating behaviours, addiction and mental health and wellbeing. Will the Minister ensure that the Office for Health Promotion looks at the evidence of how mindfulness can help with how we all manage our health?

Answer from Nadine Dorries

There is emerging evidence on the mental health benefits of mindfulness, which can take the form of meditation or wider approaches that incorporate a mindful approach. We focus on separating out mental illness and wellbeing and mindfulness: mental illness needs intense clinical intervention in NHS services, but also looking at mindfulness and wellbeing. “Every Mind Matters” facilities are available.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific commitment to review evidence was not made.

How: Emerging Evidence, Focus On Separating Out Mental Illness

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