This is a chapter in the book “Social Scaffolding: Applying the Lessons of Contemporary Social Science to Health and Healthcare” written by Professor Dame Sue Bailey. The author is chair of the Centre for Mental Health and past president of the RCPsych and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. In this chapter she explains what the term ‘parity of esteem’ means and brings together thoughts about parity of esteem for mental health and mental healthcare with physical health and physical healthcare.
