A survey by the research foundation Wellcome has found that one in five Britons believe mental health problems are sometimes used as an excuse, for example to avoid work. Despite this, the poll suggests the "snowflake" narrative does not reflect majority public opinion, as most respondents took mental health seriously and supported greater access to early intervention rather than treatment reserved only for the most severe cases.

The poll of 4,000 adults found that 73 per cent consider mental health as important as physical health, 77 per cent would feel comfortable if a friend confided in them, and 81 per cent backed earlier support over a focus on crisis cases alone. Around 65 per cent thought scientific advances could help mental health patients in future, though focus group participants feared waiting lists would limit access to new treatments. The findings follow NHS data showing one in five adults in England has a common mental health condition, equating to 9.4 million people, and come after the Government announced plans for 100 new community mental health centres and 59 mental health emergency departments as part of what Prime Minister Andy Burnham called the "biggest redesign of mental health services in a generation".