This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Healthy minds in the Borders
08/10/2002
Good health is nothing without good mental health.
That was the message from Deputy Health Minister Mary Mulligan, speaking during Mental Health Week at the Healthy Minds Conference in Newton St Boswells.
Mary Mulligan said:
"Mental health, and having healthy minds, is essential for all our health and wellbeing and for families, neighbourhoods and communities in the Borders.
"Mental health problems are now one of the three most significant causes of ill health. Given this scenario, the Scottish Executive is committed to taking action to promote good and positive mental health policies wherever possible. That is why we have set up the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing to tackle these issues.
"It is crucial that we continue to develop high quality, local, integrated mental health services for those people who do develop mental health problems and mental illness.
"I also want to highlight the first National Anti-Stigma Campaign which is being launched today, which aims to eliminate the stigma and discrimination which you know and I know people with mental health problems in Scotland still face."
The campaign called 'see me' has two objectives:
- To increase people's understanding of mental health problems
- To eliminate the stigma, discrimination, prejudice and harassment that people with mental health problems experience
Talking about stigma and discrimination the Minister said:
"When people do develop a mental health problem, they are very often subjected to stigma and discrimination. This has the effect of drivingmental health problems underground and making it more difficult for people who experience problems to seek help. Stigma and discrimination blight the lives of people with mental health problems. People experience discrimination at work, in education, in the media, suffer harassment form local communities and can also suffer physical and verbal abuse within their families.
"We are deeply committed to improving mental health and wellbeing across Scotland. We sincerely believe that there can be no health without mental health and that we need to give mental health the same status and priority as physical health issues. Mental health truly is everybody's business."
The National Programme is advised by a National Advisory Group which was established to advise on the Programme's strategic direction and priorities.
The group is made up of a wide range of interests from the community development sector through to voluntary agencies, employers, trade unionists, people working in education, the Health Service, Local Authority housing and Scottish Executive officials.
Funds have been made available from the National Programme for the National Anti-Stigma Campaign which is an alliance of organisations who all have a close interest in mental health.
These organisations are the Royal College of Psychiatrists Scottish Division, Penumbra, Scottish Association of Mental Health, the National Schizophrenia Fellowship (Scotland) and the Highland Users Group.
The 'See me' web site is at www.seemescotland.org
In addition to 'See Me' other component parts of the National Programme include:
A key document is "Well?" magazine, which was issued at the beginning of the September. It gives an indication of what is planned over the next few years.
These priorities are:
- improving children and young people's mental health
- improving employment prospects of those with mental health problems
- improving the way in which mental health is promoted and sustained within the workplace
- working to increase the capacity of local communities to improve mental health and wellbeing
- addressing the mental health and wellbeing need of older people
"Breathing Space" is a confidential free-phone service staffed by specialist advisors who can offer callers information, advice and support. "Breathing Space" Telephone helpline was introduced on Monday 8th April 2002. It is available to anyone calling from anywhere in Scotland, but publicity for the line has initially been focused on the Greater Glasgow and Argyll and Clyde areas.
First National Scottish Public Attitudes to Mental Health Survey: A public attitudes survey to monitor public attitudes to and understanding of mental health has been commissioned and is to be published in November.
Early findings of the early analysis of the National Scottish survey of public attitudes to mental health, well being and mental health problems, show that:
- 98 per cent of those asked recognised that anyone can suffer from mental health problems, with 88 per cent feeling that people with mental health problems should have the same rights as anyone else. However, 50 per cent of respondents said that if they had a mental health problem, they would not want other people to know about it.
- Almost half of respondents (44 per cent) thought that media portrayal of people with mental health problems was generally more negative than positive.
- 71 per cent of respondents said that someone close to them had been diagnosed with a mental health problem at some time in their life and 27 per cent had personally experienced a mental health problem.
- A third of those who had personally experienced a mental health problem reported difficulties (such as being discouraged from participating in social events, discrimination at work or verbal abuse in public) as a result of other people's attitudes to their mental health problem.
'Improving services for people who develop mental health problems, supporting people at difficult times of their life and helping people to understand about mental health' were identified as the top priorities for the Government in Scotland.