House of Commons Mental Health Debate Coverage

A former minister revealed his battle with depression during a Commons debate on mental health on 14 June 2012.

Labour MP Kevan Jones said he had thought "long and hard" about whether to talk about his own mental health problems.

He told the House: "In 1996 I suffered from quite a deep depression, related to work issues and other things that were going on in my life."

He added: "Like a lot of men, what you do is try and deal with it yourself - you don't talk to people."

In an emotional speech, Mr Jones admitted that what he was saying was "very difficult" for him.

"I think in politics we are designed to think that somehow if you admit fault or frailty you are going to be looked on in a disparaging way in terms of both the electorate but also your peers," he said.

"Whether it affects how people view me, I don't know. I actually don't care now, quite frankly, because if it helps other people… who have suffered from depression in the past - good."

Conservative MP Charles Walker declared that he suffered from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

"I am delighted to say that I have been a practising fruitcake for 31 years," he said.

He added: "On occasions it is manageable and on occasions it becomes quite difficult. It takes you to some quite dark places."

Opening the debate, Conservative MP Nicky Morgan reminded MPs that mental health problems affect one in four people at some point in their lives.

She said that mental health services were "poorly funded compared to other conditions and not spoken about nearly enough, either inside this House or outside."

In the UK, about 20% of people aged between 16 and 24 are thought to have a significant mental health problem.

To watch the debate click here