uNHIdden launches White Paper on the Impact of Exceptional Experiences and disclosure on mental health and wellbeing
On [18th] April, uNHIdden published its White Paper on ‘The Impact of Exceptional Experiences and disclosure on mental health and wellbeing.’ At its heart is the simple proposition that the UK Government should publicly acknowledge that UAP sightings and other forms of Exceptional Experiences are real, and that the people who are affected need better care and support.
The White Paper also makes the case for Government providing credible information to the public on the UAP topic, and the importance of developing a single, joined-up plan for UAP disclosure in a way that builds trust.
The uNHIdden White Paper makes five recommendations, largely to the UK Government, as follows:
uNHIdden’s five recommendations
- The UK Government should publicly acknowledge that UAP sightings and other forms ofExceptional Experiences are real, and that the people who have experienced them may needcare and support.
- The NHS and professional bodies should develop guidance for health and social care professionals, to make it easier for them to consult patients presenting with Exceptional Experiences in a non-judgmental and evidence-based manner.
- The UK Government should provide credible information on the UAP topic to the public, and the media needs to play its part by reporting newsworthy stories about UAPs fairly and properly.
- The UK Government should commission multidisciplinary research that considers both the medical and psychological aspects of how the general population might react to UAP disclosure, and identifies the most vulnerable individuals, groups, and communities, and what sort of help and support might be beneficial.
- The UK Government should develop a plan for UAP disclosure that brings together multiple branches of government and community groups as a single, open, shared endeavour, putting people and their wellbeing first. This needs to be done in a way that builds trust.
uNHIdden Chairman, John Priestland said:
“We have come a huge way in terms of mental health in the UK in recent years. People’s ‘lived experience’ is now respected and believed in a way it was not twenty years ago. Except, that is, for people who report seeing exceptional things that they cannot explain, where the stigma and sometimes the ridicule remains.”
Member of the uNHIdden Medical Advisory Board and clinical psychologist, Dr Daniel Stubbings, said:
“A change of policy and a recognition of the reality of UAPs would provide legitimacy to people trying to seek help, and make it far easier for the medical profession to provide care and treatment. It would also help move the conversation forward if the UK Government recognised the possibility that not all Exceptional Experiences can be explained by prosaic psychological and/or environmental factors; this is part of moving toward a more non-judgmental approach.”
uNHIdden Ambassador, Rear Admiral (U.S. Navy Retired) and Oceanographer, Tim Gallaudet said:
“The U.S. Congress has acknowledged the new reality of UAPs, so we need to address the mental health challenges of witnesses which are fuelled by the decades-long misplaced stigma tied to them. uNHIdden’s compassionate approach to people who have had Exceptional Experiences is aligned with my own values around ethic of service. I wholeheartedly support what they are doing.”