Mental Health

A new Mental Health Strategy 2017 - 2027 was published in April 2017, including steps to improve delivery of child and adolescent mental health service and an audit to look at concerns over rejected referrals and action taken as a result. The Strategy contains 40 actions guided by an ambition “that we must prevent and treat mental health problems with the same commitment, passion and drive as we do with physical health problems”. According to the Scottish Government, that means working to improve:

• prevention, early intervention, and physical wellbeing
• access to treatment, and joined up accessible services
• rights, information use, and planning

The Scottish Government has published details of the governance and monitoring arrangements for implementing the new Strategy. The third annual progress report was published in March 2021.

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Taskforce was set up in 2018 to ensure that children, young people, their families and carers are supported in good mental health and are able to access services which are local, responsive and delivered by people with the right skills. The Taskforce published their recommendations in 2019.

In June 2015 the Mental Health (Scotland) Bill was passed by MSPs. The Act makes a large number of "minor technical changes" to the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 to help people with a mental disorder access effective treatment more quickly and easily. These include:

• Measures to increase the use of advance statements, help service users have greater involvement in decisions about their treatment and ensure the Mental Welfare Commission is better informed about the use of advance statements.
• An opt-out option for services users in relation to the role of the named person.
• An extension of the right of appeal against being detained in conditions of excessive security to those who are detained in medium-secure units.
• The introduction of a victim notification scheme for victims of mentally disordered offenders.

The majority of Parts 1 and 2 of the Act, along with associated regulations, came into force from 30 June 2017. 

In March 2019, the Scottish Government announced the establishment of an independent review into mental health law. It was stated that the review will examine developments in mental health law and practice on compulsory detention and on care and treatment since the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 came into force in 2005. The review follows work already underway in relation to incapacity law and practice, as well as learning disability and autism, and will consider the future shape of incapacity, mental health and adult support and protection legislation.

The aim of the review, led by John Scott QC, is to improve the rights and protections of people affected by the mental health, incapacity or adult support and protection laws because they have, or used to have, a mental disorder. This includes carers or supporters of people affected by these laws.

A third interim report was published by the Review in July 2021. The work is due to be completed by September 2022.

The Mental Health Strategy notes the links between problematic alcohol and drugs use and poor mental health. The Scottish Government has also published Rights, Respect and Recovery, a new strategy to improve health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths. 

Actions in the strategy are based on the vision: Scotland is a country where "we live long, healthy and active lives regardless of where we have come from" and where individuals, families and communities: have the right to health and life - free from the harms of alcohol and drugs; are treated with dignity and respect; are fully supported within communities to find their own type of recovery. 

The Scottish Government's Suicide Prevention Strategy 2013 - 2016 focused on 5 key themes of work in communities and in services: Responding to people in distress; Talking about suicide; Improving the NHS response to suicide; Developing the evidence base; Supporting change and improvement.

A new action plan, Every Life Matters, has been published to continue the work from 2013-2016 and the strong downward trend in suicide rates in Scotland. The plan lists a number of actions which leaders at a national, regional and local level must take to transform society’s response and attitude towards suicide.

• Mental Health Foundation
• Mental Welfare Commission
• Scottish Association for Mental Health
• See Me Scotland
• Young Minds

• Children and young people's mental health: essential for nurses and other professionals 
• Audit Scotland report: Children and young people's mental health
• Anxiety in childhood and adolescence: encouraging self-help through relaxation training
• Introducing mental health: a practical guide

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