pounds 500m of additional resources are to be put into coping with mental health problems over

pounds 500m of additional resources are to be put into coping with mental health problems over three years. That new emphasis is to be welcomed, as an indication that the problems are taken seriously. But mental health is still regarded as a Cinderella speciality, which gets far too little resources.Care in the community was a disastrous failure in that it encouraged a kind of laissez-faire method of dealing with the mentally ill. Admittedly, lethal attacks by the mentally disturbed are mercifully rare. When they do occur, however, all too often it turns out that something might have been done if there had been intervention at an earlier stage.

A survey by the mental health charity Sane suggested that half of all lethal attacks were preceded by warnings from family and friends that went unheeded; in a third of the cases, the person had sought medical help.Those who commit acts of violence are only the tip of a larger iceberg. About 300,000 in Britain have severe enough problems to require treatment every year. But only horrific events suddenly kick the system into frenzied action. It is as though we were to ignore all warning signs of heart disease until the first massive heart attack.Support, let alone treatment, is often unavailable. Society must be willing to see mental illness as part of a shared problem. Too often, people ignore it unless it blights their own families or explodes in violence That finally needs to change.. AS CHRISTMAS approaches inexorably, like a tornado coming across a wasteland of wrapping-paper, I sense the big question being formed on a thousand lips: “Oh God, aren’t there any books we can get as presents this year which will go down well with practically anyone?” Well, fashions change, as we all know – five years ago the only famous Mr Potter was Dennis, and now he’s been totally replaced by Harry Potter – but I would be surprised if you didn’t find something acceptable in the following list of Christmas book offerings.

Chasing Galileo’s Daughter by Michael Palin, Transcript Press, pounds 19.99.
The book of the film of the programme of the jigsaw puzzle of the video of the exercise manual of the musical of the book. Palin’s quest is tremendously exciting, as he forges his way through some jolly nice-looking countries in an attempt to settle the one big question: Does putting Ernest Hemingway’s face on his T-shirt in fact make Michael Palin look younger? Or does it just make Ernest Hemingway look older?Women are from Venus, Men are Late Back from the Pub Again by Dr Graybeard, from Garfunkel and Schuster, pounds 13.99.Dr Graybeard has written many books purporting to explain the difference between men and women, leading to the obvious question: Yes, but if he knows the answer, why isn’t one book enough? The answer to that is: Because one book doesn’t sell as well as many books.John Major: The Latte Years by John Major, TomCollins Press, pounds 29.99.Controversy has raged over this book since it appeared earlier this summer. Some say the title, The Latte Years, is a reference to coffee. Others say it is a misprint for John Major, the Latter Years. Either way, the book tells the gripping story of the last Prime Minister who didn’t have a baby while he was in office.The Captain Corelli Mandolin Home Tutor by Sergio Beppino, from Music Educational Press, Turin, 2 million lire.If you have ever wanted to play the mandolin as well as they do in the Louis de Bernieres book, then this is the instruction manual for you.