Simon Jones at Mind Cymru tells us about the Big Mental Health Survey and the role of the voluntary sector in mental health support.
Mind published the second edition of its Big Mental Health Report in October 2025, bringing together data and insight published over the last year, and analysing results from the Big Mental Health Survey, which last year had 18,000 responses across England and Wales.
The report outlined a growing need for mental health support, coupled with a system struggling to keep up with current levels of demand. This will come as little surprise to anyone working in communities to support people’s wellbeing.
The survey asked about people’s experiences of accessing mental health services through primary care, but also about their journey through voluntary sector support. Of the 1,570 people who responded in Wales, around a third had accessed voluntary sector services. We heard how important this support was, often complementing what people were receiving from GP and other primary care services.
PRESSURES IN PRIMARY CARE AND THEIR IMPACT
GPs remain a key access point for mental health care, but the survey highlighted the strain this part of the system is under. Almost half of respondents said their mental health worsened while waiting for a GP appointment.
Only a small proportion reported an improvement. A quarter felt their wait had been longer than expected.
Experiences were mixed. While nearly half found GP mental health services easy to access, more than a third found it difficult. Although most people reported confidence and trust in their GP, many told us there wasn’t enough time to discuss their mental health.
This meant there wasn’t time for the GP to find out about the person as an individual. This meant only just over half of people left their appointments feeling hopeful for the future.
Taken together, these findings underline how pressures on primary care can leave some feeling they haven’t been listened to. It’s important to be clear this isn’t a criticism of staff, more of the system they’re working in. A system that often leaves those, who are giving everything to help people, feeling burnt out.
A DIFFERENT STORY IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Experiences of the voluntary sector were generally much more positive. Seven in 10 people said these services were easy to access, and far fewer reported difficulty in this area compared with GP support.
People were more likely to feel they had the time to talk about their mental health, that there was more time for to find out about them personally. Understandably, this left them feeling more hopeful for the future. Overall, four in five said their voluntary sector appointment met their needs.
Encouragingly, fewer people reported feelings of unfair treatment relating to their mental health in the voluntary sector compared with GP services.
Our findings suggest the way support is delivered by the voluntary sector in Wales matters deeply to people. It’s often more relational, flexible and person-centred.
JOINING THE DOTS
GPs play a vital role in connecting people to voluntary sector support. The case study in the report from Mind in the Vale highlights how GP services working closely with the local voluntary sector can improve experiences and outcomes for patients.
Almost a quarter of people found out about voluntary sector services through their GP. Clearly, strong relationships between different parts of the system matter. Important recommendations from the survey for the sector to consider included more flexible ways to book support, including online systems and by text.
THE MOVE TO OPEN ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CARE
The findings from the Big Mental Health Survey indicate the crucial role of the voluntary sector in mental health support. Often, these services aren’t a substitute for primary care but are a vital part of a wider system, providing people with more time to explore their experiences and get the right support.
Welsh Government’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy, published last year, outlined a transformational move toward open access, same day mental health care. This will prioritise support to be person centred and easy to access.
The findings of our survey demonstrate that the voluntary sector in Wales can be a key part in driving this transformation, on both cultural and practical levels, as many of us have been working in this way for some time.
There’s no doubt further research is essential to understand more behind the survey findings, with a diversity of experiences across Wales. What is clear, however, is that a well‑resourced, well‑connected voluntary sector is essential to meeting mental health needs, especially at a time when demand across the system continues to rise.
Simon Jones is Acting Associate Director Policy and Campaigns at Mind Cymru. Find out more about WCVA’s work in health and social care.