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Mental health improvement plan
07/05/2009
Scotland's mental health improvement plan was launched today indicating that an understanding of the importance of protecting a person's own mental health could be key to reducing the number of people with mental health problems.
Public Health Minister Shona Robison said good mental health can bring a healthier lifestyle, better physical health, better relationships with family and friends and greater productivity in the workplace.
Plans for mental health improvement include:
- National marketing campaigns raising awareness of how adults and young people can promote their own wellbeing, aided by self-help resources and practical support
- Awareness raising and help for older people to spot the early signs of dementia and get earlier diagnosis
- Training for health and social workers on how best to promote mental wellbeing in children and young people
- A focus on lifestyle approaches to help people achieve good mental health - help to stop smoking, be more active and eat healthier
- Promotion of wellbeing in the workplace - focusing on the prevention of common mental health problems, retaining people in work when they experience mental health problems and helping those out of work, due to mental illness, back into work
- Research to build a clear picture of all the key factors that lead to suicides and creation of a secure, confidential suicide register for Scotland
- Improve knowledge and understanding of self-harm and guidance for services to aid treatment and prevention
Ms Robison was at the Thistle Foundation in Craigmillar, Edinburgh today to see how local projects are providing facilities like gym access and anxiety management courses to help people protect their own wellbeing.
She said:
"We want to create a more successful Scotland with a thriving society that offers everyone the opportunity to reach their full potential.
"Promoting good mental wellbeing, reducing the occurrence of mental health problems and improving the quality of life of those experiencing mental health problems is vital to doing just that.
"Our immediate aim is to help everyone to understand how their own and other's mental health can be improved and create a step-change in how we, as a society, look after our mental health."
Chief Executive for the Thistle Foundation Diana Paton said:
"The funding we've received will go directly towards providing a range of programmes for people of all ages in Craigmillar, from school children and students through to parents and adults.
"This means that we'll not just be providing activities that we know work, we'll also be able to test new programmes and really tackle issues such as anxiety, depression and more general mental health and wellbeing problems.
"What we're doing is all about tackling and solving problems but also pushing the boundaries in how we go about this."