FCO reports rise in assisting Brits abroad with mental illnesses
The Foreign Office is reporting more requests for help from Brits abroad suffering from mental health issues.
The FCO says such cases have increased by 50% over the last five years and has identified the problem as one that requires increased focus.
Serious assistance was given by the FCO in 499 cases involving travellers with mental illness between April 1 2014 and March 31 2015, according to the Helping British Nationals Abroad report.
Although this is a small proportion of the 17,058 people receiving serious assistance last year, it is a growing trend, with the number of incidents up 50% since 2009/10 and one that requires ‘increasing focus for consular staff’.
British embassies, high commissions and consulates around the world issued almost 38,000 emergency travel documents in the last year, dealt with 470,000 enquiries and supported British nationals in 15 crisis situations.
The report reveals a 12% fall in arrests and 11% fall in reported deaths in the year April 1 2014 to March 31 2015. Hospitalisations increased by 3%.
In total, the number of people who received serious assistance fell by over 2% on 2013/14.
Those that did included 3,670 deaths, 3,250 hospitalisations, 4,770 arrests, 252 reported rape and sexual assault cases and 499 cases involving British nationals with mental health needs.
The highest volume of cases involving British nationals with mental health needs were recorded in Spain (67) France (50) and the USA (33).
FCO staff issued 37,890 emergency travel documents, with 20,663 British nationals reporting their passport as lost or stolen.
Drug arrests fell by 39% in Australia and 63% in Canada compared to 2013/14, though some countries saw an increase in cases.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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