Mental Health Strategy - strong on ambition, much to do
Publication date: 30 Mar, 2017
Scotland's new mental health strategy - published today - is strong on ambition and vision, but needs more clarity on how its actions will be delivered, says the Mental Welfare Commission.
The Commission welcomed the document and its commitment to a human rights based approach.
The Commission was particularly glad to see Ministers set out the clear ambition that mental health problems will be prevented and treated with the same commitment, passion and drive as physical health problems.
The use of PANEL principles (participation, accountability, non-discrimination, empowerment and legality) in the strategy is important to the Commission, because they could transform the way services are delivered, and ensure that people with mental illness always have their rights protected, at every stage.
New actions related to children's mental health were welcomed by the Commission.
Colin McKay, chief executive, Mental Welfare Commission, said:
"Mental illness can devastate people's lives. Without early intervention or regular support in the community, individuals can lose confidence, struggle to keep up their connections in society, and fail to achieve their potential in life.
"Given this, we welcome Scotland's new mental health strategy, and its vision and ambitions.
"To ensure the strategy has a real impact on people's lives, the next step is to bring clarity as to how its actions will be delivered, and by whom. It is also vital to have measurable outcomes. There must be a shared and effective process of monitoring the strategy, and whether it is effective.
"We are committed to working with government, and with others, to take this forward."
As part of the next stage, the Commission hopes to see the responsibilities of local authorities, health boards and integrated joint boards in delivering the strategy clearly identified. This is important as the link between hospital care and support in the community is vital to the wellbeing of many people with mental ill health.
The Commission's own priorities in supporting the strategy include promoting law reform. They also include bringing a focus on particularly vulnerable groups, such as people with personality disorder, and people with mental ill health who are homeless.
Mary Mowat: 0131 313 8786