Where is the access to vital mental health services after a spinal cord injury?
By Spinal Injuries Association with R.F.Hunt
In 2006, Arshad (Ash) Mahmood (54) from Bradford was diagnosed with Cauda Equina Syndrome, a compression of the nerves in the lower spine.
After emergency surgery, Ash’s right leg was still numb below the knee and he was experiencing nerve pain, but he could walk using crutches.
However, in 2022, Ash’s symptoms returned starting with numbness in his left leg. By June 2025, his spinal cord was so compressed he once again had to undergo emergency surgery.
Despite the surgery, Ash lost more mobility in his legs and when he walked a few steps with a Zimmer frame, he described the pain as ‘horrendous’.
At a prognosis appointment Ash was told that he was likely to need to use a wheelchair on a permanent basis. But despite this news, Ash fought on.
During rehabilitation, he learnt how to navigate life with this level of disability, doing his best to adjust to this new normal.
Ash Mahmood
But one major problem Ash was facing, was an inaccessible property when he returned home. This means he now lives in what was the family dining room.
The combination of the physical impact of his Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) coupled with the inaccessibility and lack of privacy in his home, has meant his mental health has tumbled with Ash now self-harming.
But the response from mental health services was non-existent, with a complete lack of mental health services available to help Ash cope.
His injury was in December 2025, but he is still on the waiting list for an appointment from the local mental health team.
Ash said: “There’s not really been any major mental health support locally.
“I’ve just been put on a list and I’m still waiting for an appointment from mental health services. It’s been horrible.”
Every two hours someone in the UK sustains a SCI: it can happen to anyone at any time with devastating consequences for them and their loved ones.
Effects can include paralysis, loss of bladder and bowel function, and chronic nerve pain.
The Spinal Injuries Association’s (SIA) What Matters 2026 report (a survey of over 600 people with a SCI) has revealed that the most common barriers to accessing effective mental health support were a lack of access to counsellors and therapists who understand SCI (74 per cent) and a lack of access to general mental health and well-being services (53 per cent).
This lack of response from mental health services that Ash faced is particularly concerning when there is such an established link between SCI and poor mental health, including suicidal thoughts.
In the report they show 62 per cent of people with spinal cord injuries experiencing poor mental health with over 27 per cent of those experiencing persistent and regular suicidal thoughts.
As a result of this failure of mental health services to connect with Ash, he has instead turned to the SIA for counselling support. *
Ash said: “The best thing about the SIA counselling is that I didn’t have to wait that long in comparison to the NHS and with SIA counselling, you’re speaking to someone who understands and can appreciate the challenges you’re facing on a daily basis.
“They also understand the difficulties faced with things like adaptations, benefits and how you have to navigate through this minefield.”
The SIA said: “Mental health support for people with spinal cord injury must never be overlooked.
“A spinal cord injury affects every aspect of day-to-day life, and coming to terms with such a life-changing event requires specialist mental health support.
“Acute treatment and rehabilitation centres play a vital role in the early stages, but we know that when someone returns home, ongoing support becomes critical as they adjust to their new life and navigate the many barriers they face every day.”
*You can self-refer yourself for counselling with the Spinal Injuries Association here: spinal.co.uk/get-support/counselling/
